Heroes of China
by Slow to Dream
Summary: Cities fall, schools are burned, and villages are threatened. After a sick turn of events, it seemes all is lost for the sacred art of Kung Fu. Can Po and the Furious Five stop this madness before it's too late? TigressxPo. COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Blood.

It was the first scent that Master Storming Ox had scented as he stormed downstairs, steeling himself for the horrors to come. Master Croc raced with him down the steps, out the building, and into the open. They burst out into the open out of the Tower of Sacred Flames; the stewards of Gongmen had not expected the attackers of Gongmen City to be….

_There has to be a mistake_, thought Master Ox, _This cannot be HAPPENING!_

The attackers were none other than...the soldiers of the Son of Heaven himself, the emperor of China. The trademark symbol of the royal court adorned on their blood-stained armor, the soldiers attacked with brutal efficiency. As the antelope guards of the city fell beneath their military might, buildings were set on fire, and the air turned thick with the scent of blood. Master Ox and Master Croc could only stand and watch as there home engulfed in flames. Master Ox quickly regained his senses, or rather his fighting spirit, and charged recklessly a crowd of soldiers. Using his horns, he ran over a few of the Imperial soldiers and bellowed with rage, Master Croc just behind him. The two masters were no fools; no matter how much strength they had they would eventually get overrun.

"If I am to die, I might as well take the lot of you with me!" bellowed the mighty ox, getting into his defensive position.

"Preach to the choir, partner." said Master Croc with a sneer, readying his sword.

The two masters were turned back to back, and both turned their heads and met the other's eyes. They said no more words; their eyes had said everything that has been needed to said. They waited for the attackers to bear down on them, to fight more savagely than they ever had before. Gongmen had been their home, and they would not fail for a second time in defending it; even if they were to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Master Ox's hotheadedness was getting the best of him and he charged into the mass of armor-clad soldiers.

But as he began to fight, what happened next he would have never expected. He felt a cold sharp pain in his back. The pain was miniscule, but his body suddenly gave way, and Master Ox collapsed on his knees. He looked down to find the weapon that had been in his comrade's hand a moment ago buried in his midsection. He had been run through by the sword of his comrade, his brother-at-arms, his fellow master. The pain had settled in, and grew more intense each passing second. His mind swirled as his body refused to obey his mind and subjected to the pain. He fell on his side, sword within him as Master Croc stepped in front of him. A soldier ran up to Master Croc and handed him a silver cape and armor, with the Imperial mark etched on. Croc fastened the cape upon his newly attained Imperial armor.

"Why…Xiōngměng….why did y-"

Master Ox's words were cut short with a brutal stomp to the face.

"You will not address the new Imperial general by name." Croc's eyes were distant and cold.

"We…swore to…each other…we were…xiōngdì…brothers…" Blood trickled down from Master Ox's face onto the ground.

"The only one I swear loyalty to is the Son of Heaven, His Imperial Majesty." General Croc turned, revealing the mark of his new alliance on his cape, his deadly tail rising above the earth.

"Goodbye, you foolish ox. Any last words?"

Master Storming Ox, conqueror of the seventy-two Wing Chon Province bandits, Steward of Gongmen City, Pupil of the benevolent leader of the Master's Council, Maser Thundering Rhino, had set his gaze on his home for the last time. The beautiful buildings were up in flames, threatening to collapse. The banners of the proud independent city Gongmen were ripped apart, banners of the Imperial government replacing them. It had started to rain, almost as if the Heavens were feeling the sorrows of the pitiful Master bleeding upon the ground. Master Ox allowed himself to shed one tear, to allow himself one fleeting moment of weakness. His thoughts went back surprisingly to when he and General Croc had just met, united by Master Oogway to save China from the deadly Wu Sisters.

"Remember the path…brother."

Master Storming Ox closed his eyes as General Croc's tail delivered the final blow.

* * *

**This was my first fanfiction ever- so the story might get a bit sloppy.I hope you guys liked that opening scene/prologue. I'll try to update more chapters soon. I think I did an okay job with this….If you thought it was shitty, constructive criticism would be awesome.**

**Reviews would be a god-send!**

**Till Next Time, Audience(If I have any lol)**


	2. Chapter 2

Po's eyes shot open in the soft dawn as he awoke with a gasp. He had been sleeping peacefully a moment ago, when suddenly he awoke. Surrounded by the light of dawn, his pants filled the room, the cool air hitting his previously blanket covered fur. Startled and confused, Po got up slowly, his pants residing. Something had woken him up, but what was it? Something had pulled him out of his sleep, something had happened.

_Weird, _thought Po _Why am I up so early?…I need something to eat._

Po hesitantly put one foot down after another, and gingerly tiptoed his way to the door. Although he had slimmed down tremendously, he was still a panda. And pandas have a reputation for tremendous girth and weight. Po chuckled softly when he had remembered the hole he created his first night at the Jade Palace. As he crept into the kitchen a familiar figure had already beaten him to the kitchen.

"Morning, Dragon Warrior" Tigress said with an amused look on her face.

"G'Morning, Tigress" Po replied with a false grin, taking a seat in his chair.

Ever since the events that had took place at Gongmen City, Po's feelings blossomed for his fellow Master. Her smile had an ability to render Po helpless, and whenever she had gotten close, his heart began to flutter uncontrollably. Her piercing scarlet eyes could intimidate any man, and yet they would find themselves unable to look away, mesmerized. Tigress's beauty and gracefulness have always had an effect on her male counter parts and other men they have met on their journeys as the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. But they have always seen Master Tigress, the fearless leader of the Furious Five. Beneath that hardcore exterior, there was always a softer, gentler feline that only revealed herself to the other members of the Jade Palace.

"You come around like a bad habit." Tigress allowed herself a small smile, handing Po a cup of tea. "What's on your mind?"

As usual, Tigress had been able to see straight through Po's lies.

_Is it her kung fu tiger-ey senses, _thought Po _Or am I just the worst liar ever?_

"It's your face", Tigress deadpanned before taking a seat next to Po.

Po's eyes grew wide before subconsciously bringing his hands up to his face. Tigress chuckled softly at his actions and took a sip of her tea.

"I don't read minds, Po. I, however, can read your face quite easily."

Po took a small sip, savoring the taste of the tea, wondering the taste of Tigress if her lips crashed into his…..

_Whoa! _Thought Po _Not now, not now, not now…_

Tigress raised an eyebrow as she stared perplexed by Po's ever-changing facial expression before he settled down once again.

"You were saying?"

"Oh! Right, right…It's just that…I don't know, really." Po shrugged before continuing "Something woke me up, and I can't really explain it."

Tigress responded with a sip of her tea.

"Why're you up? I mean, I know you get up really early, but even this is too hardcore for you." Po lightly teased the tiger, poking her arm gently.

"Nightmares."

"Huh?" Po hadn't really expected her to actually reply.

"I couldn't sleep because of the...nightmares." Tigress whispered with her head down, eyes concentrated on her herbal brew.

None of the others had learned of Tigress's night terrors, even Shifu had no clue. Po had only known when he found Tigress in her room in the dead of night clutching her pillow, tears streaming down her face as she let out silent screams into her bed. Po had begun comforting her, and when the night terrors struck again, Po had always seemed to be there ready to comfort her. Even if Po had no clue what they were about. It was times like these that made Tigress wonder about her feeling towards the Dragon Warrior, whether they were feelings of love towards a brother or…something else.

It had been Po after all, whose understanding, gentle personality overlooked her cold exterior and saw the beautiful warm woman for whom she was. Po was the one who had set her free, who helped her make things straight between her mast-no, her father, Shifu, and the one who had made the Furious Five a loving family instead of a well-oiled extreme fighting machine. And for that she was more indebted to Po than he would ever know; her gratitude so great she would gladly die for him. Whether it was feelings of gratitude or another emotion, however, she couldn't decide. Her feelings for him are jumbled, and for once in her life, she was helpless against it. Tigress couldn't make sense of it. Deep in her thoughts, she couldn't sense Po leaning towards her until he had wrapped his thick black arms around her. Her eyes widened at his touch, and although confused about her feelings for Po, she allowed herself her guilty pleasure. She leaned towards his embrace, and rested her head against his.

Po had buried his face into the crook of her neck as her scent invaded his senses.

_Tiger lilies and jasmine_, thought Po giddily before returning to his senses.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there this time", Po murmured through her fur.

"It's fine. They weren't that bad this time." Her eyes were half-closed, barely able to keep herself from purring.

Reluctantly, Tigress had gently pushed Po away from her. Po almost looked hurt, but stared into her eyes. He couldn't take it; he had to tell her how he felt, right now.

"Look, Tigress I need to te-"

Po had been abruptly interrupted by the sound of a shriek, and a loud bang. He and Tigress shared a look, hardcore enveloping their once emotion filled eyes. They sprinted towards the entrance, quickly joined by the other members.

"What's the meaning of this?" Crane grumbled as he had been callously awoken by the noises.

"We'll find out..." Viper replied sleepily, wrapped around a half-asleep Monkey accompanied by the grumbling insect, Mantis.

The sight they saw quickly jarred them back to reality. Zheng, the head servant and messenger, was struggling to help up a battered, bruised, bloody feline. She was a Chinese Mountain Cat, blood and wounds aside, a very attractive one. She looked up from where she had collapsed, her eyes settled on Crane. Even through the recent hardships she had faced, her lips still lifted to a smile. She then unceremoniously collapsed yet again, this time immediately assisted by Crane.

"Come on! Get up! Get up..." Crane latched his talons on to her clothes before flying her into their barracks "Mei Ling!"

* * *

_3 days ago..._

As the roaring flames devoured the buildings, Sǐhǎi rose from the carnage. She took a deep breath, and sighed contentedly. She looked around slowly, soaking in her horrific deeds, until her eyes stopped at the half-dead rhino out in front of her. He was lying on his back, a gaping hole in his chest and the blood practically streamed out his chest. The rhino looked at her with utter rage and hatred. Sǐhǎi was amused, and slowly sauntered over to him before crouching by his body.

"Hey." She poked him in the belly, earning a growl from her victim.

"What…do you want…leopard?" the rhino spat out in contempt.

"I wanted to see is you're still kicking." She rested her elbows on her knees and brought both of her hands up to her cheeks, looking mildly bored.

"You knew I was alive when you looked at me, wench!" The rhino spat at her.

Sǐhǎi easily dodged the glob of saliva and poked the rhino's belly again.

"So…where'd that pretty mountain cat run off to? I saw her sprinting towards the east, but I was busy…" she licked her lips and stared at him seductively before continuing, "Having fun."

The rhino would've raised his fist before smashing it against her skull, but his body couldn't move. In fact, now that he had thought about it, the hole in his chest had been a cut moments ago. He groaned as his gaze fell upon his chest that confirmed his inevitable death.

"I used a rare poison on my blade" Sǐhǎi whispered, bringing her paw up to stroke the rhino's face "That's how I was able to…disable your students so easily."

"Ha", the rhino sneered "You can't say KILL, huh, why? Does it make you look like a murderer? Because that's what you are!"

Sǐhǎi stood up and gazed at the night sky, here eyes settled on the dark moon.

"The moon looks beautiful tonight, wouldn't you agree?" Sǐhǎi murmured.

"What the hell are you talk-"

Sǐhǎi brought her blade down mercilessly upon the rhino's face and continued her violent stabbing long after the rhino's legs and arms have stopped twitching.

"I don't like those types of words." she growled before looking up at the moon again.

She left the blade in the corpse before she stood up and viewed the Lee Da academy dying in a sea of fire. There were sparks of embers flying up into the air, as the blood of the students stained the ground and walls everywhere. She enjoyed the fight; it had been a long time before she was allowed into China after being exiled into Mongolia. In exchange for her blade, His Majesty has graciously erased all previous crimes in her name.

_The Lee Da academy wasn't so tough _she thought.

Sǐhǎi looked at her masterpiece one last time before looking to the moon again, her gaze on the giant white orb in the sky. The Imperial soldiers that had accompanied her started to collect the bodies together before setting them aflame. She didn't care for the soldiers. They were merely pawns on the grand scale of things.

"I want…to make this world burn." she whispered, the light from the flames illuminating her face while her body cast an eerie shadow on the earth.

* * *

**"The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy." - Friedrich Nietzsche...Hope you guys liked the OC Sǐhǎi. **

**Big Thank You to the people that reviewed! Should I make the chapters longer? Let me know!**

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness.

It was everywhere, surrounding the space of her mind and sight. She looked around, lost and confused. When she thought she would never escape, she spotted something. It was small and seemed to be far away. But there was no mistaking it.

It was a small spot of light.

As she saw it, she could hear muffled voices echoing around the dark void.

"_You could never attend the Lee Da academy, you're too small."_

"_You might as well give up now mountain cat, there's no competing with those rhinoceros and oxen."_

"_I present the newest student of our Academy! Mei Ling!"_

"_Hey kitty you're pretty good with that Bo staff. If you want to work on something bigger, you can work on my staff, y'know what I'm sayin', hahahah- Ow! Ow, ow I was kidding, I WAS KIDDING!"_

Mei Ling chuckled at the memories. Then some more hit her all at once.

"_Me? No, no no….That's crazy. That's just…craziness talking."_

Was Mei Ling insane, or did the bright spot seem to grow larger?

"_Well you'll never know until you try."_

The light had grown brighter….it was practically blinding now. Mei Ling had recognized the two voices bantering; she remembered the moonlight that had made the skinny, lanky bird look like a majestic warrior.

Crane.

The silly, shy, bottle-necked janitor she was so fond of. He had grown to become more than anyone had expected of him, even her.

She had to warn him, to tell him what had happened. As she ran towards the light, the voices in her head grew louder and clearer. They sounded like worried voices, and some arguing. As she grasped the white, shining light the entire void she was in turned blindingly bright.

* * *

Mei Ling opened her eyes slowly. Vision blurry and feeling sick, she awoke with a weak groan.

"Mei Ling!" Crane hurried to her bedside, concern etched on his face.

The rest of the five had stopped bickering. They surrounded her bedside, waiting for an explanation. Shifu began the interrogation, as he always has before.

"Miss Mei Ling, what has happened in Lee Da?" Shifu implored.

"We were….attacked", Mei Ling closed her eyes in pain of her memory, and tears began to fall.

"Mei Ling…." Crane stepped forward to comfort her.

"No….I have to finish….please" Mei Ling drew in a shuddered breath before continuing. "It was so sudden, so well planned…It had been a regular day, and then… they just appeared."

"Who?" Shifu drew closer, fearing the answer he already knew.

"The Imperial Army..." Mei Ling closed her eyes and let her mind escape the horrors of reality and slip into the abyss of dreams.

* * *

"What's this about, Shifu? The Emperor should be, like, our biggest fan!" Po said, outraged.

"Po", Shifu focused his eyes on the ground "The relationship between Kung Fu and the Emperor has always been…strained."

After Mei Ling had lost consciousness again, Shifu took the Five and Po hiking to the Pool of Sacred Tears.

"The fact that Masters of Kung Fu had so much sway with the public has always been considered a threat to the Emperor. When the Five and especially you, Po, have defended China twice when the Emperor has failed put you as a threat to him."

Shifu continued "If you have to power to defeat Shen and Tai Lung, then surely you have enough power to take over the Imperial court, and rule over China.

"What, that's crazy!"

"Yes, Po. But that is not the point. The Emperor has always been weary of Kung Fu, especially since masters such as us use it for the people, and not for the Emperor. He sees it as a direct threat of his power. Kung Fu Masters govern their own towns and cities as they see fit. Now that Master Oogway is gone, there will be no more delegations between us Masters and the Emperor. Master Oogway was the string that held us attached, because he was the one able to appease the Emperor that we wouldn't turn against him."

"Meaning he'll try to destroy every trace of Kung Fu. He'll try to kill us all." Tigress said, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Master, what should we do?" Viper asked looking at Shifu in despair.

"The Emperor has probably already sent a force to stop you from doing anything." Mei Ling said, arriving in the middle of their conversation "The Academy is destroyed, and rumors say that Gongmen's Master's Council has fallen as well. They seemed to have gone for the other Kung Fu academies and palaces; they're weary of the Jade Palace."

"I don't think they plan on leaving us alone, though", Mantis scowled.

Shifu closed his eyes and sat in the Lotus position as the rest of the Five started to fight amongst themselves. There had to be a way to save themselves, to save Kung Fu. Could this be the end of the sacred art?

_No,_ Shifu thought, _I refuse to let Oogway's legacy die. We just need a plan. Perhaps Tigress and I could form a strategy later tonight, something to save-_

"Master Croc!" Po shouted with happiness, fan boy mode in full throttle.

The rest of the Five turned from their bickering to stare at the Master. General Croc no longer had on his Imperial armor or his cape. He was in his regular attire.

"Oh, man. Master Croc, are we glad to meet you" Po got up and started to run towards the Master.

"Wait, Po." Tigress said with an unusual tone in her voice. Her voice was calm and cold, almost ice-like.

"Master Croc, where is Master Storming Ox?" Tigress took a step in front of Po, almost shielding him from Master Croc.

"He's holding down the fort at the city. Why? What's wrong?" Master Croc said, "C'mon Po. Lunch is on me. We have to talk about this recent epidemic."

He turned walking away, expecting Po to follow, which he began to. The rest of them had started to follow him as well, eager for an answer to their problem. Tigress had lifted an arm in front of Po, implying for Po and the rest to back off. Tigress's composure was calm, almost too much so. The rest of the Five and Mei Ling looked confused, wondering why Master Tigress is acting so strange. Even Shifu had an eyebrow raised.

"There have been rumors that the Master's Council has fallen from attacks from the Emperor. Surely you must know something about that." Her piercing eyes looked at him coolly.

"Keh! Rumors are rumors! Gongmen is safe, I'm telling you. There's no need for violence now that Shen's gone. Come! I have heard that the Dragon Warrior's noodles are the stuff of legend."

"I see. Please excuse my insolence, Master Croc." said Tigress, her voice eerily calm, "But I cannot let my comrades attend lunch with you. There are too many holes in your story. Why visit us now, so long ago from when Gongmen city had been officially freed from Shen's tyranny? Where did the rumors come from then? Why visit when you can just send a messenger? Plus, the scent of blood is strong on you."

The Five, Po, and Mei Ling all took several steps back. No one had smelled the scent of blood on General Croc, no one but Tigress. Shifu's eyes widened as the rest of the group looked at Tigress in utter shock as she got in her defensive stance.

"Furthermore, you have not addressed anyone else but the Dragon Warrior. You have been avoiding Grandmaster Shifu, almost as if you fear him. And if the time for violence has passed…" her gaze fell upon the crocodile's armor and cloak "Why are you hiding a blade?"

General Croc had not turned since Tigress's verbal beating. He started chuckling as he applauded Tigress.

"Ah, I see why the famous Master Tigress is considered the Pillar of the Jade Palace. You are astute, alert, and intelligent. Your combat skills are truly legendary…. This is a problem. "General Croc quickly lit a spark with his metal belt and claw, and lit a small bag on fire.

Master Tigress's eyes narrowed as she charged on all fours at him, realizing his intentions. The rest of the group quickly dispersed and began to charge at him from all different directions. General Croc proceeded to throw the bag into the air, and swung himself in a full circle. His deadly tail lashed around, repelling the offenders from all sides. Shifu, however, managed to sneak through General Croc's mighty tail defense and pinned the reptile down by the throat with his staff.

The bag that had been thrown high up in the sky erupted into a beautiful flash of colors.

"Fireworks", Croc rasped through Shifu's staff, chucking to himself "If I were you, I would be running by now."

"They will attack the Valley!" said Tigress as she helped Po on his feet, the others already running back down to the palace.

As Tigress and Po caught up to the group, they were immediately intercepted by troops on the road back into the Valley. Shifu quickly dispatched most of the soldiers with his superior speed and combat prowess. Viper and Monkey had finished off the stragglers without halting, the soldiers no match for either master, let alone two working together.

"Crane, get me down to the Palace! Don't try to argue!" Tigress leapt in the air and soon became a dot in the sky, carried by Crane.

"Fool! Quickly, one master will not be enough! I will go ahead!" With that, Shifu had sped down the path with unimaginable speed leaving behind a trail of dirt and dust.

Po knew why Tigress was so desperate to defend the Jade Palace. It had been her escape from the orphanage, her one true home. She had found friendship, fun, love, and peace in her times in the Jade Palace. Throughout all her changes, from lonely apprentice orphan into a beautiful Kung Fu Master surrounded by the people she loved, the Jade Palace had always been her sanctuary. A place where she would always belong, and if she left, a place that would welcome her back with open arms. And Po would NOT let them take that from her.

"Hyah!" Tigress had slammed her fist into an Imperial soldiers face, sending him flying into two more of his comrades.

Tigress quickly dodged another spear, her body moving like fluid water, her fists striking with animosity. The soldiers hadn't expected a surprise aerial assault from the tiger. With each strike, her arms had movement that of a cobra: swift, powerful, and deadly. The Imperial armor the soldiers wear stood no chance against the ironwood- hardened fists. Crane had flown in to the chaos, taking out archers before they could aim at the ferocious feline destroying their troops. The Five joined shortly after, Shifu dealing the most damage against the slow soldiers.

"Crane!" Shifu called to the avian as he was dealing with a soldier, "Fly to Chorh-Gom Prison, and get the Anvil of Heaven! Quickly!"

Crane burst into top speed towards the prison. Chorh-Gom Prison has been under the command of Shifu after Oogway had passed. It was far away near outer-Mongolia, but with Crane's unearthly aerial speed, he should get there in a matter of hours. Although Tai Lung had escaped, the Anvil of Heaven who guarded him were no ordinary guards. One thousand rhinoceros that were hand-picked by the warden Vachir. The time of arrival would vary between one or two days. However, their assistance could help defend the independent valley from the Emperor.

In all the chaos of combat, the Five and Po, nor Shifu, realized that General Croc had returned from the Sacred Pool of Tears. With a sinister grin, he pushed an archer out of the way. He lit a familiar bag on fire using the same method and snagged it with an arrow.

As the arrow hit the building, the fireworks went off, igniting the wood. Soon, the fire devoured the entire Palace, as more archers hit the palace with their arrows with sacks of gunpowder in them.

The plan had been simple. Destroy one of the most valuable pieces to Kung Fu history, and if they could, kill a master. They would have lost the battle, even with 50 of the best he had to offer from his division of the army. The rest of the men left the destruction they made behind: ransacked businesses, thrashed homes, even some innocent bystanders killed. The citizens of the Valley of Peace cried in despair for their loved ones gone, their hard work lost, and their homes destroyed.

Tigress couldn't help to feel the same way, as her feet underneath her collapsed beneath her weight. She was on her knees, eyes wide as she stared at the building covered in flames. Tears began to streak her face, yet she remained silent. The rest of the five (excluding Crane) had gathered the unconscious bodies and tied them up, doing anything to erase their minds on the sight before them. Shifu trembled in rage, his teeth gnashed together as his fists tightened even further on his staff. Po knelt beside Tigress, his hand on her shoulder comforting her. She pushed his hand off her shoulder, looked away, and clenched her eyes shut to avoid the tears from overflowing.

As the small number of troops left retreated out the Valley of Peace, on soldier was brave enough to approach the chuckling General.

"Sir" the soldier looked nervously at General Croc "If I may be bold enough to ask…What _was _our job?'

"All it takes is a tiny spark, a tiny spark to ignite the flames that will swallow everything in a sea of fire…." chuckled the reptile before continuing "We've sent a message."

* * *

**"All cruelty springs from weakness." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca**

**I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had fun making Tigress's badass scene in this chapter, haha! I know, I know, there wasn't any TiPo, but I really wanted to focus on the plot and action of the story in this chapter. If you guys have any constructive criticism, or have suggestions on the chapters later, I would be glad to listen (read). THANK YOU TO YOU GUYS THAT REVIEWED**

**Remember to show some love with reviews! Any suggestions/criticism will be read!**

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	4. Chapter 4

As Crane had flown back, the sight he witnessed made him sick. Countless buildings ransacked, murdered townspeople in the streets, citizens crying in despair for justice. _Their_ citizens, the very people the Five had taken an oath to protect with their lives. Crane had contacted the Anvil of Heaven, who agreed to rush to the aid of the Jade Palace. They would arrive in 2 days, 2 days too long. The Emperor will send more troops soon, then how will they defend the Valley of Peace? As Crane focused back onto the sad scene, he landed at the Jade Palace. His worst fears had come true. His home destroyed, the blood and tears of the innocent ran through the streets of the Valley of Peace.

As the sun set, Tigress was still slumped over, tears slowly dripped onto the earth. Po had gone salvaging in the wreckage for anything he could find, despite the heat from the burned carcass of the palace scorching his paws. Viper and Mantis attempted to comfort Tigress, although they were failing miserably. Monkey and Mei Ling were attempting to direct the citizens back to order, though many ignored the masters with dirty glares. Shifu had organized messenger birds that weren't slaughtered to different provinces with cities still run by Kung Fu masters to alert them of the coming dangers. When Crane had landed, he glanced at Tigress. She was beyond devastated, face expressionless, silent tears spilling over her eyes as her gaze never left the scorched palace. She clamped her eyes shut; hot air from the scorched wreckage rippled her fur, and roared in anguish. It was loud and violent, yet at the same time it held pain and sorrow. She slammed her fist into the earth, and took off for her refuge of ironwood trees. The other had gotten up, trying to stop her, but was halted by Shifu's raised hand.

"Let her be," Shifu said, eyes cast down to the ground "Let her grieve the only way she can."

Po had seen the scene from scavenging in the wreckage and turned with determined eyes and kept searching with newfound determination. With his new found enthusiasm, he had almost missed a very valuable object. But regardless, he found it among the burned rubble. With a grin, he took the fragile object in his hands and pocketed it. He began searching for other pieces of memories.

* * *

Mei Ling had been joined by Crane down near the village in a reclusive area. She sat with her knees tucked into her, her arms rested on her knees and hiding half her face, her tail swinging depressingly.

"The villagers seem to resent us," she muttered with a sad expression "They expected us to protect them…and we failed."

Crane slowly padded up to her side, and put a wing around her, attempting to shield all her misfortunes from her. She responded by embracing the avian, much to his surprise. His eyes widened, and then softened as he returned her hug with one of his own. She had buried her face into his neck, and by the wetness he felt, she had been crying.

"I couldn't protect Lee Da…and now I couldn't protect the Jade Palace." Crane released her and put a wing on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes.

"It's not your fault," Crane said soothingly "No one knew this would happen to any of us."

"Look at me!" Mei Ling said with a small laugh while wiping a tear from her eye, "Crying…this isn't what a Kung Fu master does! I messed up being a woman, now I messed up being a warrior?"

"Hey! You didn't fail at either of those!" Crane told her indignantly, then with an amused expression added "Remember how many catcalls you got, or how many guys would fight each other just to talk to you?"

Mei Ling started to giggle, and upon seeing this, Crane decided to go further.

"I'm serious! And when you first came here, you should've seen how many jaws dropped! And not just because of your Kung Fu!"

Crane sighed, and then looked out at the setting sun, in all its blazing golden glory.

"I remembered just thinking: "Wow!". Before you came to Lee Da, I only wished for one thing. But you changed that. I wished I could be a top student. I wished I could be as graceful and talented as you!" Crane closed his eyes, words tumbling from his beak uncontrollably, becoming an avalanche of truths and confessions.

"Even after I became a student, I was still wishing! Wishing that I could become the best that Lee Da had to offer, wishing that I was as close to you as some of your other friends were! Wishing that you were with me and not Tōu, wishing it was my wings around you, caring for you, instead of his!"

Crane's eyes shot open, realizing what he had just said. His feelings for her had gotten the better of his judgment and tongue. Cursing himself, all he could do was wait for the inevitable response he knew he would get.

"Oh, Crane…." Mei Ling looked away, towards the village and away from Crane before adding, "Crane…you're my best friend."

"I know." Crane croaked, his ears almost hearing his heart crack in a million places as his throat constricted itself.

He couldn't help himself. In the sunset, her beautiful eyes sparkled in the golden light. Her tears seemed to add to her eyes, even in sorrow she couldn't help but look like a goddess. Her face, her fur, her body. Crane wanted it all, he wanted to hold her, to protect her from anything else that will ever hurt her, to show her the love that no other male had ever shown her. He wanted to wipe her tears, and tell her everything would be okay, because in his mind, it would. Being near her, her comforting presence, her soft fur, her graceful figure and golden heart, would make everything okay to Crane. He sighed, however. It would never be possible. He was Crane: slim, awkward, and unattractive in general. And she was Mei Ling: goddess, beautiful, powerful, and independent. He knew she was never even remotely attracted to him since they met.

The silence between the two was deafening.

"Mei Ling, I know you don't love me. I know you see me as a friend, someone you can trust." Crane croaked, his tears threatening to overcome his eyes' resistances "So I'll be that person. All I want is to see you happy. So…don't worry about me. I'll be your friend forever, someone you can rely on. I'll watch from the side, happy if you're happy. So…so don't feel guilty about me, because I don't mind. I'll be there for you. Always."

Crane turned, getting ready to take flight for solitude to wallow in his misery. But before he could get liftoff, he felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around him from behind. He shivered as Mei Ling had buried her face into his long neck. They stood for what seemed to be hours, Mei Ling wrapped around Crane, their bodies and hearts so close together. Crane could feel her rapid heartbeat, her body heat, and wondered if Mei Ling could feel his heartbeat as well. He could feel her tears against his neck, and sighed with pleasure when she pressed her lips against the base of his neck. She trailed kisses up his neck, and then softly kissed the avian's cheek. Crane turned to meet the feline's gaze, her smile, her tear-stained cheeks...

"I guess...you feel the same way?" Crane asked awkwardly, shuffling his feet, "Why me?"

"Why not you?" Mei Ling asked with a laugh "If only you could see your handsome face in a mirror."

"Well I'm a scrawny, awkward bird…..you're a beautiful feline….."

"I think you're a majestic, handsome avian, who would sacrifice anything for a loved one." Mei Ling had embraced Crane again, nuzzling her cheek against his beak.

The setting sun set a blazing golden and orange background and Crane couldn't help but think that this was the perfect day, despite the recent tragedies that took place.

"Regardless of the tragedies, the future doesn't scare me at all", Mei Ling whispered to Crane with a sweet smile on her face "I have you."

Crane laughed and held the embrace. Mei Ling purred softly into the avian's feathers. The two lovers were joined as one, not only in embrace, but in heart and soul as well.

* * *

**"Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another." - Thomas Merton**

**Well, there goes another chapter. I just have to let you guys know, that: Guys, I don't really plan my chapters. I sit down, and then tell myself: Your'e gonna write. Do it NOW! But the strange thing is, is that I like writing. Haha, oh the irony: an american football player that enjoys writing and reading. Oh well, I don't give a shit. That OC that Crane mentioned to Mei Ling was just BS. I made him up to last for 3 seconds. Hope you guys enjoyed that moment with Crane and Mei Ling. I know it wasn't Tigress and Po, but I liked what my brain told me to write, so my fingers had to type it! It's the start of spring break, so I should be on a major writing spree after wrestling/football/track spring break practices! By the way, I forgot to mention this after chapter 2: I put a lot of references to movies,games, and TV shows and such. Try to find them if you can!**

**If you enjoyed the chapter, let me know why you liked it! Don't hesitate to send a review! I love them!**

**It doesn't hurt to follow or favorite either, hehe.**

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	5. Chapter 5

When the two recently united lovers had walked back leisurely to the palace in the night, they spotted a massive crowd of citizens at the entrance of the palace. They looked enraged, and Mei Ling couldn't blame them. The Imperial army had attacked the Valley brutally. Why they did not continue, Mei Ling was unsure. Sharing a look, Mei Ling held on to Crane's feet as he flew over the crowd, landing next to the other Masters confronted by the angry mob.

"You people need to leave!"

"You guys can barely protect yourselves, let alone the Valley!"

"If this is what Kung Fu can only do, I _want_ to be taken over by the Emperor!"

The angry crowd hurled insults and jeers at the masters. All remained calm, except for one certain Dragon Warrior. Po stepped forth, ready to abuse the crowd. But then something odd happened. When Po took the step, the villagers took a step back. Upon realizing this, Po sighed. Even though they may have looked angry, they were still afraid of what the Masters could do. This reminded him of Tai Lung, and he immediately stepped down, feeling ashamed.

"Why do we need to leave?" Mei Ling asked confusedly, looking around the crowd "The Anvil of Heaven will arrive tomorrow and…"

"And the Imperial Army will still be here!" cried out Feng, an elder of the Valley "They surrounded the Valley, turning back traders and farmers looking to sell their crops!"

"We have no farmers here, and how long will we last until we perish from starvation, huh?" yelled out a particularly rude pig, "As long as you're still here, they will keep the blockade going, until we force you out!"

"Leave!" screamed an elderly goat, "LEAVE NOW!"

The Masters looked at each other. They would never harm one of the citizens of the Valley of Peace, but could they really leave their home behind, only to get caught by the Imperial Army? Shifu had realized now, why only such a small force had entered the valley. The Thread of Hope is the only access point to the Valley, and to cross an army across the thread-like bridge would have been impossible.

_Then…_thought Shifu, _All this time since the attack…._

"We need to leave, now." whispered the elderly Master looking dejected "Go towards the Scared Pool of Tears."

Shifu and Feng had shared a glance together, a hidden conversation between the two's eyes.

The masters looked at him questioningly, but trusted the elder's judgment. The master looked back with pained expressions in their eyes. Never did they expect to be shunned by the very people that adored them moments before. They all sped towards the sacred rendezvous point, leaving behind the citizens of the Valley.

"Well, our plan had worked." A male bunny stepped besides Fung "Now we just need to hide the children…"

"Another force sent by the Emperor will kill us all. I hope we have chased them out of the Valley." Feng let a tear out "After all these years of protecting us, they deserve to have been protected by us lowly villagers at least once."

"Fui, send them food and water. Do not tell them that it is from us." Feng croaked "And by no means tell them that this hurts us as much as it hurts them."

* * *

"Hopefully the Anvil of Heaven can protect them from the Emperor." Shifu had sat, dejected "We will leave after we rest here for the night."

The elderly master looked worn down, his face showing signs of age and his posture was weak. He had seen through the Valley's citizens, and knew he could do nothing. They had sacrificed themselves to help the survival of something bigger than all of them, a timeless art that had helped millions of the innocent from the oppression of the evil; the art of Kung Fu.

Mantis had been murmuring obscenities as he raked the ground with his mantis forelimbs. Monkey sat in his lotus position; face twitching as he tried to chorale himself from the worry that had gripped his heart. Viper coiled up as she looked at the pool, the light of the moon and stars reflected off the pool into her eyes, creating a beautiful color. Mei Ling and Crane had sat together, Crane roosting as Mei Ling curled up around his leg as she fell asleep. Tigress sat far away where the land ended and the sky was infinite, her eyes shut as she drowned herself in the cold air and stars of the night. Po had been in his own little world away from everyone else, tinkering with something small.

"They look adorable together", said Viper sleepily as she stared at Crane and Mei Ling resting together.

"Mmmm." agreed the praying Mantis, "I'm hungry, too."

Viper hissed at the insect and smacked the back of his head with her tail, annoyed at his truth. None of them had eaten for some time, and Viper _was_ getting thirsty; however, she would never drink from the scared pool before her. She stared back at the newly found couple, and a thought passed through her mind. She glanced quickly at Po, then at Tigress. She sighed, and retired back into her coil.  
"Aha!" Po yelled victoriously, "I got it!"

The startled masters looked at Po. Po had quickly winced and whispered an apology. He tiptoed his way to the ledge that Tigress had seated herself upon. As he plopped down next to Tigress, the feline master had opened one eye and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Hey, Ti." Po had used her nickname affectionately.

Tigress had opened both her eyes and stared coolly at the jade eyes that had seemed to be able open her inner walls when no one else had.

"Look, I know you're still hurt over the palace." Po had said and quickly added when she had looked down, "But, but look! I looked around a bit, and I remembered the story you told me about before you came to the Jade Palace. I want you to keep this, if you like it."

Po and taken her hand and gently placed the small item in her paws. Tigress had opened her paws to find something she would have never expected.

It was a tile. The tiles that Shifu had taught her to use, that taught her how to use her strength and gave her friends at the orphanage. The tile had been the start of her happy memories in the orphanage, finally able to play with the other children after she had shown them she was no harm and could control her temper. It was just cheap wood, but it represented so much more than that. It was a slightly blackened at a corner, and had a hole with a small rope through it. She ran her paws slowly over the small rope, the tile, her little piece of memories. Po had turned it into a necklace.

"Um, I know that it was precious to you and um…I really sorry that I put a hole in it. I just thought that, y'know, you might want to wear it- if you want to wear it, no one is really telling you to and-"

"Po, I love it." Tigress flashed him a small smile, but it dropped when her eyes rested on his hands "What happened to your hands?"

"What, oh nothing, nothing at all. I good! Really!" He quickly hid his paws behind his back.

She grabbed his arms and lifted them up to meet her gaze underneath the light of the moon and stars. Po's paws had been severely burned in multiple places, cuts and grazes covered his paws, and some claws were missing from both hands. He had hurt himself to bring small comfort to her, and she suddenly felt guilty. She had forgotten that Po had looked through burning hot wood and metal for this tiny trinket... She got up and walked to the pool, gathering water in a flask. After clearing out his wounds on his hands, she had gently dried them with her silk pants. Her eyes softened, as she gently placed his hand on her lap, and proceeded to take the bindings off her ankles. Then she carefully wrapped her bindings around his hands. She was still staring at the bandaged paws, softly massaging them as her mind wandered to think about Po.

"Um. Tigress?"

Her head shot up, eyes wide, and realized she had been softly massaging his hands still. She shoved his hands away and looked back at the stars.

"Don't be a little girl."

Po had shot her an amused grin, and scooted closer to her.

"Y'know, underneath all that hardcore tiger Kung Fu mastery, inside is just a warm, soft, lovable, cuddly kitty!" Po poked her every time he had hit an adjective.

"Care to test that out, Dragon Warrior?" she hissed playfully, coiling up on all fours ready to pounce.

"Ready." Po smirked, imitating the feline when they were sailing to Gongmen.

Tigress leapt on top of Po, and began rolling around wrestling for dominance. As they were rolling around, they managed to roll down the path towards the Scared Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Tigress was hissing, clawing and batting playfully as Po growled. They rolled around in a playful manner, forgetting about the dead, the blood, the fear, just focusing on each other in the moment. They had managed to roll uphill and stopped just beneath the peach tree. It was blooming time for the tree, as the sweet cool air had seduced the petals to fall from their branches, creating a glorious swarm of petals around the two. The moon shined as brightly as it could dare, and the stars shined with equal vigor. It felt as if the very earth approved of the two warriors' love for each other, though neither confessed it yet.

They stopped their tussling, Tigress beneath Po, both of them laughing together. Then Tigress did something unexplainable. Tigress had looked at the charming, cute panda and lifted her head to meet his cheek. Then, she gave Po a small lick on the cheek before setting her head back on the grass, looking at him with admiration and adoration. Po's eyes went wide with surprise, as he slowly looked down into Tigress's eyes. She had a small smile on her face, her blush dominating the shade of color on her face. Her gentle features were lit by the moon and the beautiful eyes matched the heavenly stars themselves. Po's heart melted when he could see total love and trust in her eyes, and Po leaned down. At the same time, Tigress had leaned up to meet his lips. What felt for hours were only a matter of seconds. The two separated, breathing harshly as they sat together against the peach tree. Tigress closed her eyes peacefully as she rested her head against Po's shoulder. No confessions were needed at that point, the two's souls and hearts were in matching frequencies.

"I know we shouldn't be feeling like this….We should be getting ready for the coming storm", Tigress looked up into Po's eyes "But…I….love you, and I need you."

"Y'know, a wise man once told me that yesterday is history, and tomorrow is a mystery", Po smiled shyly as her gaze never left his "But today is a gift, and that's why it's called the present."

His paws were grabbed gently by Tigress's. He hadn't noticed till now that she had worn the necklace he had given her, the precious tile protected underneath her red silk vest. She smiled, and felt at peace for once in her life. The raging storm that was her life had been calmed and quenched by an unbreakable heart, so warm it was foreign to her own. It had melted her's to the very core, and his only seemed to grow.

The couple had not been aware that the entire group had watched the two from far away, smirks and silent giggling filling the group. Shifu himself couldn't help but smile lightly; this new young love had warmed his tired old heart. Viper wiped a tear from her eyes and silently wished congratulations to her sister. Monkey and Mantis shared a look and the same thought: They would never let Po and Tigress live this down. Mei Ling and Crane had been reminded of their recent moment, and were lost in each other's eyes.

* * *

It had been a long night. Hao, the royal adviser had been fighting off the bureaucracy for His Majesty and been sending orders to generals all across China. The pheasant was wearing the highest grade silk robes, green and blue, for only gold was allowed on the Emperor's skin. His body had never gave off that he was exhausted; oh no, the royal adviser must be strict in posture, in dialect, in everything. He represented the Emperor, and he must be represented properly. His every movement radiated wealth, knowledge, and gracefulness. He walked into the royal court of His Majesty, a massive room with riches adorned on the wall, pillars of dragons snaking around it, and at the center of the room on the ceiling: a massive image of the Son of Heaven himself. The passage to him was guided by two straight lines of massive rhinoceros guards, fearsome face-masks on their face, concealing their identity. Their armor were sparkling and in impeccable condition.

As he approached the massive throne, he knelt as low as he could.

"Your Majesty, your loyal servant approaches with the most humble intentions."

"Rise" His entire body was covered with a shroud, only revealing part of the massive throne.

"Your Majesty has asked for his humble servant?"

"Yes, Hao, we need to discuss some things." The figure shifted slightly before continuing "How are the battles across China's borders going?"

"General Huāngmò still leads the attack against the barbarians of the desert in the west. General Shin has completely dominated the southern lands and islands and is traveling back to the Forbidden City to meet with Your Majesty. General Zhao has stopped the eastern island barbarians and contained the resistance of the peninsula east of China; he waits for further command."

"I see. Send some others to lead the armies. Send the Imperial Three to me. Are the Kung Fu masters still resisting?"

"….Yes, Your Majesty. They seemed to have gone to hiding and are engaging in guerrilla warfare with General Croc at the moment. Only Lee Da, Gongmen, Wu Shao, and Shi Long are completely eradicated. Some more will undoubtedly be destroyed. The masters have seemed to be very well organized, by the hands of the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace, Shifu."

"Give the order…. The Imperial Three may not rest till all of Kung Fu is destroyed."

The figure had begun to spasm, and the Emperor cried out in pain.

"Your Majesty! Is it your illness again?"

"I….I am fine. Get me my medicine. GO NOW! BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE!"

"Ye-yes, Your Highness!"

The Emperor sat back in his throne. His body racked with pain, as he shivered. He was always weak, especially when he was a child. The doctor he had killed had diagnosed him with a mental illness. It was impossible for the Son of Heaven himself to be insane; no, he wouldn't allow it. Any doctor that diagnose him with an illness would get killed, their corpse to rot in Mongolia for the pitiful wolves to eat. The once stable, peace-loving emperor had turned into a ravage, war-hungry monster.

"Now, Oogway, old friend….Let us see who was right. Is Kung Fu the way to peace and order? We'll see old friend..."

* * *

**"Mad Hatter: "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"**  
**"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.**  
**"No, I give it up," Alice replied: "What's the answer?"**  
**"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter" - Lewis Carroll...insanity at its finest.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Everyone seems to be falling in love, am I right? I hope you guys can see the foreshadowing on how the Imperial Three act, based on what they did so far described by Hao. Love scene inspired by a Disney movie, not gonna say which. Please leave some encouraging constructive criticism, after all I aim to please. **

**Reviews would be an amazing-but-extremely-late Christmas miracle! **

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	6. Chapter 6

As the Five, Po, Shifu, and Mei Ling were getting some rest before they leave the Valley, a small child had arrived, lugging a basket and a sack. The cute child had been lugging the things for quite some time now, and she was getting tired. On Feng's order, she was allowed to send them food and water.

"Child, what brought you here?" Shifu had gotten up from the Lotus position to help the young girl.

"Hello, Grandmaster Shifu." She said breathlessly, "Feng- I mean, I, wanted to bring some food and water for you all."

"Mm. Well you look tired, why don't you have some water and rest here for a while?"

"Thank you Grandmaster." Fui had said with a polite bow, before sitting with the others.

Fui was an orphan child, a small ocelot. She had been adopted by Feng at an early age. Her bright brown eyes shone in the twilight excitedly, being around her heroes. She plopped herself down next to Po, and looked at him with admiration. The Dragon Warrior had that effect on children around the Valley.

"Heya, squirt!" Po had grabbed the young ocelot and began lightly tickling her, "What are you doing around here, don't you know that this is important Kung Fu business?" he said with mock sternness.

Fui giggled, and said "Grandmaster Shifu said I could be here!" she pounced on Po's arms and began playfully wrestling with his hands.

Tigress smirked with amusement. She wondered how Po was so compatible with the young in the Valley. There was the possibility that it was because of his status as Dragon Warrior, but Tigress doubted it. It probably was due to his large heart, and childish-like ways. Or maybe he was just as stupid as a child was. The rest of the group watched with amusement, after teasing Tigress and Po about their relationship, Mei Ling and Crane getting together, they seemed in good spirits.

Fui had sat back up and looked around, her face bright with fan girlish delight. Shifu had come to the campfire circle, with basket and sack in hand. The amount of food in there was enormous. The masters had thanked Fui and began to eat. Fui had taken a flask of water, and drank while she watched them eat with hunger in her eyes. Tigress had grabbed a dumpling, about to pop it into her mouth, when she caught the young ocelot staring at it.

_She probably hadn't eaten all day..._

Tigress leaned over and put the dumpling into Fui's mouth, and smiled as Fui ate it with ravenous hunger. Fui looked at Tigress as gratitude shown in her eyes. Fui shortly joined them in the feast, encouraged by the kind masters to eat until she could eat no more. After they were done, Tigress had begun to ask Fui about herself, interested in the only other feline in the Valley of Peace.

"I'm Fui; Feng adopted me from the...Bao Gu orphanage." Upon mentioning the orphanage, she looked down, sad.

"I'm guessing the children didn't like you?" Tigress hit it right on the spot, as the young ocelot looked up surprised, "Was it your claws and fangs, or maybe you were just stronger than everyone else?"

"How'd you know?" Fui straightened up, eyes wide.

Tigress put out a paw and unsheathed her claws, flexing her fingers.

"You're not the only one who came from the orphanage." Tigress muttered, eyes softened as she recollected memories passing through her mind.

Fui was about to speak, but something stopped her. The other masters sensed something as well, eyes going wide. This time, Tigress didn't have to warn them. The murderous intent coming up the path to the pool was enormous. The group's animal instincts had picked up the undeniable scent of blood, this time not subtle as General Croc's. The pool seemed to overflow with the stench of blood now. They stood up, readying themselves for the troops that somehow came out of nowhere. But they never came.

It was a single man. A panther, black as the night it was surrounded in, with blood-thirsty yellow piercing eyes. He had no armor, just a purple plain vest, with black silk pants. He held a thin sword, its blade chipped and worn-down. Red with blood. The source of the blood had come from the body on his other hand. It was bleeding profusely, probably already dead. The body seemed avian-like, with feathers and a beak.

It was Mr. Ping.

Po roared, something no one had ever heard before. As he charged at the panther, the panther gave out a maniacal laugh.

"That's it, Dragon Warrior! Feel the hatred for me! Fight! Fight! FIGHT!" said the panther, throwing the body aside and running at Po.

Quickly dodging Po's fists, he sidestepped and brought down his foot on Po's. Although the panther was slim, he hid incredible strength. His stomp had completely stopped Po's movements, and Po let out an agonizing scream. Not even losing a step, the panther brought his blade down on Po, creating a massive gash diagonal to Po's body. Blood spurted from the wound, and Po lost consciousness. Throwing Po's massive girth off to the side, he swung the blade down, spattering the ground with Po's blood. The rest of the group had gone to Po, to halt the bleeding.

_Who has so much power to take Po out like that!? _Shifu thought, mind racing.

"Po!" screamed Fui, tears forming in her eyes as she knelt by the fallen panda.

Tigress was kneeling over Po, her expression unreadable. The rest of the group grew weary around her and backed away from her as they sensed rising blood-lust and hostility.

"I didn't mean to take you out so fast...but you were hard to ignore..." the panther coolly looking at the group, "With all that noise."

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Shin, one of the Imperial Three. Pleased to kill you." Shin drawled with a sneer as he looked at Tigress and Mei Ling, "My, my, what beautiful ladies..."

In an instant, his jaw was met by Tigress's fist. Shin flew into the air, only to be hammered by Tigress into the earth. She was straddling him, slamming her fists mercilessly into his face, screaming wildly. She continued, until two black paws grabbed her arms. Her eyes went wide, as she stared at a barely scathed panther grinning maniacally at her, showing off his fangs.

_How...how is he not hurt at all? _Tigress thought, _I was sure I..._

"The anger makes your eyes look positively radiant...thanks for playing, sweet-cheeks."

Shin overpowered her by smashing his forehead against hers, and threw her off him. He got up, dusted himself off, and looked at Shifu.

"Why is the Emperor targeting us?!" Shifu had gotten in his defensive stance, casting a worried glance at Po's body.

"None of that matters. What matters is Kung Fu will die." Shin pointed his sword at Shifu "Starting with you all, especially you, old man."

"They'll never be beaten by you!" screamed Fui, tears in her eyes.

The Imperial general looked at Fui, mildly surprised, before letting out a sneer.

"Never? Wu Shao was destroyed, Shi Long was destroyed, Lee Da was destroyed. Gongmen was destroyed. All their great Kung Fu masters are destroyed. Why not yours? How much longer do you think they will last?"

"They'll never give up! They'll fight, no matter what! Like what Feng said: It's better to die on your feet that to live on your knees!" Fui boldly said, challenging the panther.

"You have it backwards," Shin snarled, "It's better to live on your feet than to _die on your knees_."

With a growl, Shin launched himself at Fui, who in all her childish naivety and innocence, honestly had not expected to general to attack her. As Fui shut her eyes, Shin was blindsided by Shifu. Shin had underestimated the Kung Fu masters. As he and Fui conversed, the masters split up to attack him simultaneously. They struck from everywhere, Shen just barely keeping up. Any sane fighter would have been getting nervous at the thought of keeping up with seven Kung Fu masters attacking simultaneously; however, Shin seemed to be getting more excited as the fight went on. His strikes were becoming faster, stronger, and his blood-lust was clearly visible through his eyes as he grinned widely even as he was getting clawed, kicked, and punched. After a long moment of dodging and striking, one of his swipes seems to have hit. Monkey reeled away from the fight, holding his shoulder in agony. Even with one attacking member lost, the advantage seems to have shifted immensely. Snarling, he kicked away Mantis, and struck Viper away with his palm. He slashed Crane near the shoulder, disabling this ability to fly. He swung his foot, the force of his kick sending Shifu, Tigress, and Mei Ling away from him.

"Why don't you guys give up? It's no fun fighting you guys." drawled Shin "How can you guys possibly win against my power? You have none of your own."

As he said this, some heavily armored guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They had gone through the Valley, up the trail to the Pool of Sacred Tears to join their general. But these soldiers were different. They were all panthers, 70 of them, as they crowded the area, forcing the Masters and Fui to retreat further to the ledge, where underneath them ran a vast river, and dangerous rocks lie. Po was still bleeding heavily, and most of the masters were injured from Shin's assault, with the exception of Shifu and Crane.

"We don't need a fighting force", Mei Ling hissed "Our comrades are our power."

Shin's brows rose, before he laughed at the feline for what seemed for ages. Sighing, he wiped a tear from his eye, before addressing Mei Ling.

"Whoo...ah...that was rich...That's precious, darling. You see these men? All taught from when they were cubs how to kill. Each one able to dispose of a master, such as you and only loyal to me. My blade, though light, made from the strongest metals of China. My cuirass underneath my vest is my impenetrable shield, and my panther instincts are impeccable in a fight. THESE ARE MY SOURCES OF POWER!Anything else, Ms. Friendship? Do you see? You lost, plain and simple. It was fun while it lasted."

Shin stared at Tigress, his head cocked as he gave her a mischievous grin.

"Too bad Stripes couldn't see his daughter. Y'know I think that's why he wasn't real fond of the Emperor's orders to exterminate to Valley of Peace. Separated for more than 20 years...how tragic."

"What?!" Tigress gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

"No time for answers, beautiful...KILL THEM!"

At this point of time, Shifu had made the decision he was struggling to make since the entire fight. With one mighty swing of his staff, he smashed Po, Mei Ling, Crane, and Viper off the ledge. Ignoring Tigress's questioning of his sanity, he kicked Mantis, Monkey, and Tigress off the ledge as well. Grabbing Fui, he leapt off the edge as well, giving Shin one last look of contempt. Shin merely smiled sweetly and waved. This was all just a fun game to him, he would find them if they survived the fall. And he would make them wish they had never run away.

As the river seemed to get larger, Monkey seemed to come to the realization that he might not survive this. The river looked swift, and the water seemed unforgivably frigid. The dark blue water was going to be their coffin, the rocks their tomb and their bones would never be found. He was going to die, to die and never find love in his life, or have children. He would never prank with Mantis or Po ever again; he was going to die, to die, to di-

Monkey felt a familiar presence on his shoulder. Sharing a look with Mantis, he knew he would be alright. His comrades and friends are here with him, and everything was going to be okay, if they stuck together. Now radiating confidence, he confidently looked do-

_SPLASH!_

As Monkey hit the ice-cold water, the impact causing his head to spin, he thought of one thing. As he attempted to weakly swim and failed miserably, he thought of one thing. As he saw Po's blood seep all around his friends, he thought of one thing. As his shoulder turned numb and his own blood mixed with Po's, he thought of one thing. As he was losing consciousness, he thought of one thing.

_Oh...shit..._

* * *

**"I'm afraid of unreasonably, but rationally afraid of heights. I think everyone is." - Joe Rogan (And Monkey, too!)**

**Hey! Thank you all for reviewing and following me. The favorites are a blessing! I noticed I barely put any input in for Mantis, Viper, and Monkey so I thought I would work to get them in. My goal is to have a section for each of them! So far I got Monkey...I hope you guys like Shin and Fui, and I haven't forgotten about Sihai. **

**Will Tigress meet her father? What will happen to Po? How will he react to his father getting killed off? Will they even survive the fall?(I think this one is obvious.). Find out next time, when I update the story! Don't forget to show me some love with some reviews and follows, yeah? And favorites would definitely be a plus!**

**Till Next time, Audience**


	7. Chapter 7

Mantis awoke with a startled yell. The last vision he saw was in the dark running water of the river, surrounded by Po's and Monkey's blood. He was in a small cabin, the pitter-patter of the rain keeping a steady beat. The fire in the middle of the cabin made crackling noises in synchronization with the rain. The howling of the wind outside only allowed for minute noises to come through. Mantis looked around in wonder, wondering who had saved him. He spotted the bodies of his friends around him; they were all on one massive bedroll. Crane, shoulder and wind bandaged, was actually on his body sleeping for once, instead of roosting on one foot. Mei Ling was passed out next to Viper, who had subconsciously wrapped herself around Mei Ling. Monkey had bandages all around his midsection and shoulder, and was furthest away from the group. Tigress was sleeping in a sitting position guarding Po; Mantis assumed she had woken first, before anyone else. Po was the worst off. He had bandages all around him, spots of blood seeping underneath his bandages, and the bandages around his paws were replaced with fresh ones.

"I see you have awoken."

Mantis turned his head, spotting a huddled figure next to Fui and Shifu, attending to their wounds from the fall.

"Who are you?" he asked weakly.

"You need not know who I am. You may call me the Soothsayer." She turned, revealing herself to be an old goat.

"You're that goat from Gongmen!"

"Quite right. This is not the first time that someone had floated down here requiring my care. You and your friends have floated quite a journey to get to here."

"I see. Where are we?" he asked, looking outside.

The scenery was a sad one, lush green grass and beautiful nature outside, but houses torn apart. It felt empty, deserted. The rain and howling wind hadn't helped the miserable scene.

"For some, a haven….a resting place," she said looking at the sleeping warriors, "For others, a memory, or a nightmare." She finished cryptically while setting her gaze on Po.

Joining Mantis by the window, she stared out into the depressing space.

"The fate that weaves people's lives together is truly interesting…" she murmured to herself, recollecting memories of being with Po as he had achieved Inner Peace.

The rest of the group slowly had gotten up; awake for the first time (with the exception of Tigress). Fui rubbed her eyes with a sleepy look on her face, before yawning cutely and shaking Shifu to stir him from his slumber. Fui spotted them looking at her, and returned their gaze with a sweet smile. The Soothsayer chuckled softly and hobbled over to the child.

"What is your name, child?"

"I'm Fui! I'm from the Valley of Peace. This is Master Mantis, Master Monkey, Master Crane, Master Viper, Master Mei Ling, Master Shifu, Master Tigress, and…..Po." Fui finished, her excited expression now a look of sorrow, tears threatening her eyes "Is…..is Po gonna be okay?"

"It is…..hard to say whether or not he is stable at the moment." The Soothsayer finished reluctantly.

"I'm fine." Po got up, walking slowly towards the entrance of the hut.

"Po! You're okay!" Fui cheered, running towards Po to hug him.

When Fui wrapped her arms around Po's leg, she was suddenly struck. Po had slapped her face so hard that Fui had fallen off him.

"Po…." Fui whimpered, lips trembling as her eyes turned moist as she held her cheek where he struck her.

"Shut up! Just SHUT UP! I want to be left alone!" Po roared.

Immediately, the Five and Mei Ling got in front of Fui protectively, shielding the child from the Dragon Warrior's wrath. Mantis hopped on her, checking if she was okay. Po stormed outside, followed swiftly by the rest of the group. Shifu still hadn't moved, and looked at where Po had left with a sad stare. The Soothsayer stood next to him, doing the same.

"What was that, Po?" Tigress snarled at him, rain immediately soaking through to her bones.

Po had halted in the middle of the ruined village, the rest of the group behind him at a distance.

"I don't have to answer to you, Tigress." Po replied icily.

"She just wanted to make sure you were okay, Po! What's wrong with you?" Viper hissed, defending Fui and Tigress passionately.

"What's wrong with me? WHAT"S WRONG WITH ME!? MY DAD IS DEAD, KILLED BECAUSE OF ME!" screamed Po, turning on the group now, enraged.

The group shrank back, eyes avoiding Po. They had forgotten that Shin had dragged Mr. Ping's corpse up to the Sacred Pool of Tears. Viper closed her eyes, ashamed. Monkey visibly flinched, yet Tigress remained unfazed.

"It's bad enough that I'm here, where the rest of my species died! Now the only family I had left is dead, too!" Po roared, tears disguised by rain, "Because of Kung Fu….BECAUSE OF YOU ALL!"

"I never had parents." Tigress calmly inputted, "I never had someone to love me or hold me like a mother. Some people would say that having no parents is worse than losing them."

The other masters looked at her with shock, clearly surprised by her statement. Tigress proceeded to sprint at him and smash his face with her fist, sending him flying into the earth. Ignoring protests from her friends, she walked up to Po.

"Don't ever think you don't have family!" She smacked Po again, sending him further down, near the bamboo forest.

"I understand your pain, believe me I do, but don't _ever_ take it out on someone innocent!" Tigress delivered an uppercut to Po, sending him crashing against a particularly thick bamboo.

Po sat against the bamboo, rage in his eyes, but finding himself unable to talk or fight back. The pain and suffering was too much; hate so strong it bogged down his soul, and sorrow left his mind and body difficult to function.

Tigress walked up to him again, and aimed her fist straight at his face with all the force she could muster. The rest of the group looked away or shut their eyes. This was going to be ugly.

_BAM! _

She had narrowly missed Po's face on purpose, her fist hitting the extremely tough bamboo millimeters above Po's face. She had knocked down the iron-like bamboo, her knuckles on her left hand clearly bleeding, mixing with the rain as it traveled down the remaining stem of the bamboo onto Po's shoulder's and head.

"_We're_ your family," Tigress said softly, tears visible even in the rain "You'll never be alone. I promise."

Just then, all the anger and grief flowed out of Po. He wrapped Tigress in an embrace, sobbing his heart out. The rest of them joined as well, into one big hug together.

"We'll never leave you alone" they said together, confident smiles on their faces, "Because we're family."

When Po returned, he was met with a knowing smile from the Soothsayer. Shifu glanced at him eyebrow rose, expecting something. Po caught on, and approached Fui; she was sitting in a corner with her knees tucked in her chest and arms folded over her knees, covering most of her face. It was obvious that she had been crying, tear stains clearly marked her cheeks' fur. She looked up at Po, and shut her eyes tightly. Po picked her up, and gently whispered into her ears an apology, with comforting words. After what seemed like ages, Po got her to forgive him and to loosen up. She snuggled into Po's chest and fell asleep, snoring softly and mumbling slightly. With a smile, Po sat against the wall and stroked her head softly with one hand while he cradled her in another. Tigress walked over to him and sat down next to him. Although she refused to say anything, Po knew she was thinking of something.

"What's wrong, Ti?" Po whispered, wanting to help her.

"It's what that panther said…..when you weren't with us…..he said, that my father was still alive." Tigress whispered while she stared at the flames; the embers making her eyes look unreal.

* * *

Shin had gotten back from the Pool of Sacred Tears, outside the city, to where his troops were stationed. There, General Croc and his men were kneeling, waiting for him.

"You _do_ know why the Emperor sent me, right, Scaly?" Shin said, eyeing his men "You failed to meet standards. All of you get in a straight line, horizontally."

Croc's men quickly got up and formed a line in front of Shin. Shin went down, grouping the line by tens. Then he looked each in the eyes, and picked a random man within the groups of men.

"Well, here we are! Beat them. Beat them to death with nothing but blunt objects." Shin said, smiling kindly at the chosen.

The chosen looked terrified, one even attempted escape. The escapee was cut down by Shin, who cleaved the soldier almost into halves.

"Now. Does anyone else want to run away? You all failed, so you pay." he said calmly.

There were no objections. The men, especially Croc had not been expecting a punishment of this caliber. The nine men in their respective groups began to beat the chosen ones down, until the ground turned red, with their blood. Shin halted them, walked over to each chosen soldier individually, whispering into their ears as they lay there, an inch from their life, about how he knew who each of them were due to their citizenship in the Imperial cities. He sweetly whispered with honeyed words how he would vandalize their homes, slaughter their children, and take their wives. He did this to each man chosen. After their hearts stopped beating, and their breath faltered to nothing more, he ordered the rest of Croc's small number of troops to dump the bodies where the latrines were. Shin turned to Croc, with an insane look of killing intent in his eyes.

"You're pure evil…" Croc whispered, trembling with rage and fear.

"I'm _necessary_ evil." Shin whispered back, insanity gleaming in his eyes as he radiated killing intent.

Croc saw his life flashing through his eyes. The street fights he won, his comrades of bandits, his childhood, his dreams, his ambitions.

Then he saw Master Ox, Master Rhino. And Master Oogway.

_The path._

As Shin approached, Croc closed his eyes. He regretted ever doing this, and he finally let the guilty tears out. He wailed for his brother, Master Ox, and what he did to him in exchange for his own life. His hot, salty tears traveled down his face as he only wished for one thing: To right the wrongs he did in his life.

He felt a burning hot pain in his chest. He fell backwards, as the searing hot pain scorched his mind, body, and most importantly, his heart.

As he lay on his back, looking at the beautiful sky, he suddenly stopped his shameful sobbing. It was a beautiful day out, the clouds looked almost painted on, and the sun was radiant in all its glory. He reached out a hand, attempting to touch the sky, and he was back at Gongmen. Another lazy day with Master Ox, and Master Rhino, joking about what was, and what would be. He could almost hear their voices, teasing Croc about his small limbs, and him rebuking back.

_Xiōngměng, it's going to be okay. Even if she's gone forever, you have me and Master Rhino. We're your family, too. _

_You can loosen up around me, Xiōngměng. Just think of me...as a father. Huang does too, you know._

Croc reached higher, almost hearing the voices clearly now, tears of happiness forming in his eyes.

_Family...forever._

Shin kicked down Croc's up reaching arm, and leaned over at the dying reptile, mocking him.

"Just go to sleep." Shin sneered, before letting the blade fall into Croc's body once more.

The Master of the Lashing Tail of Terror was no more.

* * *

Sǐhǎi wandered along the path, lazily putting her hands out behind her head. The Emperor hadn't issued any orders for her yet after Lee Da. She didn't really appreciate killing, but she had a deep grudge against Lee Da anyway. The Emperor knew this and sent her to deliver retribution.

_Where am I? _she thought lazily, _I guess I'd be near Gongmen by now? Might as well check on how that straight-edge bear, Zhao, is doing._

Sǐhǎi kept walking until she felt a presence behind her. She called out to it without turning.

"You can never beat a woman's intuition. Are you one of those weird stalkers?"

"I have no need to talk to a woman that will die shortly." said a petite snow leopard, leaping down from a tree.

"Oh? Is this a challenge?"

"No. This is an execution."

Sǐhǎi had narrowly dodged the girl who had been flanking her. Out of the bushes ahead of her, soldiers came out from their hiding, brandishing their weapons. Worse, they were Imperial soldiers.

"What is the-oh, I see how it is." Sǐhǎi had narrowed her eyes "I'm not useful to that half-dead cretin now, is that it?"

"I apologize. It is just business." Said the female snow leopard, who looked calmly at the assassin.

"You're that vice-general…Suì-Fēng was it?" Sǐhǎi asked casually, attempting to stall them so she could think of a plan.

"Your efforts to stall us are futile."

"You're no fun."

Suì-Fēng was the vice-general of General Zhao. She was the head, of the assassination squad, and head of the intelligence force as well. Her stealth technique is other-worldly, and she could effectively fight against any weapon, regardless of what she was wielding. She was young, and talented. The only reason she was not a general was because she had pledged eternal loyalty to Zhao. Sǐhǎi knew that Suì-Fēng had let herself get caught, probably because this was about how far she could go before Suì-Fēng had to dispose of her. Sǐhǎi had no choice but to fight. She dodged a spear, moved in a struck a soldier down. The soldiers were weak, and she had minimal problems when dealing with them. The Imperial soldiers were just pawns, unimportant pieces in the grand scheme of things. Sǐhǎi had quickly dispatched the small number of soldiers that had accompanied the snow leopard with relative ease. Sǐhǎi wondered why she brought along the nuisances, when she had realized why they were brought.

Sǐhǎi could no longer locate where Suì-Fēng was.

Sǐhǎi looked around, she was panicking now. She felt the tiniest presence behind her and turned swiftly, but it was too late. Sǐhǎi felt a raging pain in her back; it was obvious that Suì-Fēng had cut her quite deep. As Sǐhǎi staggered, willing her body to move, she collapsed next to a ledge. Suì-Fēng approached Sǐhǎi, not a glimmer of taunting or mockery on her face. All business. And so she was. And without even a farewell, she kicked her target off the ledge, into the river that ran below. There was a sick crunch that followed, as it seems that Sǐhǎi had clipped her head against a small rock in the river. As a small cloud of blood ran in the river, leading it was the limp body of the lonely assassin.

* * *

Po, Mei Ling, Shifu, Fui, and the Five were making good time, when it had begun to rain. Scowling, Shifu had raised an arm over his eyes to make out where they were heading. The rain was like nothing before in these foreign parts, the weather much more savage here than in the Valley of Peace. Lighting soon struck, and Fui was getting scared. Tigress held on to the child's hand as they continued the walk, the thunder making no difference to the stoic master.

"Blast this rain!" Shifu growled, "As soon as we are treated and traveling, this happens!"

The cold, bitter rain wasn't helping the bandages of their wounds. At this point, wet bandages make way for infection to settle in, and no one wanted to amputate anything, or lose a life.

"Maybe we should take shelter somewhere?" Monkey suggested, Fui and Mantis desperately agreeing. Neither liked the rain very much; one because of the lighting that followed, and the other because the rain drops was massive to him.

Mei Ling and Crane went far ahead to get some alone time. The rest of the group was in front of Po and Tigress, who led the flank for the same reasons as Crane and Mei Ling, except they couldn't shake off the youngster that had followed them. Po had been telling Fui an extravagant tall tale about his life before he became the Dragon Warrior as Tigress listened; one with total trust and admiration and the other simply amused, knowing it was all one big exaggeration. They had decided to ignore Shin's comment on her father; they chalked it up to be a lie to shake her up. Tigress suddenly halted as if stopped by an invisible force. Her eyes narrowed, and yelled at the group to stop. Immediately, the group halted their walk in the heavy rain.

Mei Ling had been talking with Crane, listening to his most recent Kung Fu adventures and joking with him about past times. Then she heard Tigress's voice. She turned, and it hit her like a brick wall; the stench of blood. Mei Ling's eyes followed Tigress, as she ran towards the river bank and knelt from her view. Curious she walked towards Tigress to see what the fuss had been about. When she saw the bleeding figure, her eyes grew wide before narrowing viciously.

"Don't safe her." she hissed at Tigress, who looked up with a confused stare, "Let her die."

"It was her. She was the one who murdered everyone at Lee Da." Mei Ling whispered bitterly.

Viper wanted to see what the commotion was about, and gasped when she saw the gruesome sight. It was a beautiful leopard, eyes shut as her head was turned towards Viper. Her black vest was torn in the back, as blood flowed freely from the gash. The head was bleeding from the front, blood seeping into the river. She looked almost a inch from death. Viper looked away; she couldn't stand sights such as this. She was not hard and invulnerable to these types of things such as Tigress, and preferred to avoid things like this. Viper looked up at Mei Ling, surprised at the feline's facial expression. Her eyes showed murderous killing intent, and her face seemed much less attractive like this then when she was happy.

The atmosphere then turned much more frigid, and it wasn't because of the rain.

* * *

**"Dying has a funny way of making you see people, the living and the dead, a little differently. Maybe that's just part of grieving, or maybe the dead just stand there and open our eyes a bit wider." - Susan Gregg Gilmore **

**Sooooo...another chapter done. It feels like I'm rushing ahead of things, but that can't be possible because I don't really have an agenda, a plan. If you think I'm moving too slow or too fast, let me know so I can fix it. Any constructive criticism would help, or if you want to give a suggestion or anything, that'd be fine, too. Sorry for not updating faster or anything because since I don't really have a plan, I have know clue where to begin or to end! Thank you for reading another chapter, and stay tuned!**

**Please review/favorite/follow!**

**Until Next Time, Audience**


	8. Chapter 8

"Don't save her," Mei Ling snarled viciously "She's the one who destroyed Lee Da."

"Well, we can't just let her die here!" Po argued, coming to Sǐhǎi's defense.

"Yes, we can! Are we going to save our enemy?"

"…You have to let go, Mei Ling." Crane said, padding up to the feline.

"Would you save Shin is he was in the riverbank, Po?" Mei Ling deadpanned, looking straight into Po's jade eyes.

Po's eyes softened, but he refused to break his gaze. Would he save Shin? The man who cruelly killed his father? He could envision the panther now, laughing as he drew his blade upon his father. But, for some reason, the anger passed, and something new replaced it. Something he couldn't understand himself.

He felt sadness.

Not for his father, but for the panther. His vision was clear now; the anger that had gripped his heart with iron fingers had been melted by love. Love from his family, his friends. He felt sorrow for the panther's soul and Po's unconditionally warm heart had forgiven him.

"I'm gonna stick with love and forgiveness. Hate's just too much to hold. So I let it go." Po said with a small smile.

Tigress smiled proudly at the panda. He had learned to forgive, even against the worst outcomes. Something none of them had been able to do except Po.

_He truly is amazing_ Tigress thought _His heart….._

Mei Ling let a few tears escape, and sniffled softly as Crane wrapped a wing around her. She let a small form on her lips.

"Well, if Po can forgive and let go, then I guess I can, too." she chuckled softly.

Fui had listened to none of this; their little heart-warming moment. Her eyes only saw the fire, the fires that raged on in her home, before Feng and the orphanage. She remembered the sick clashing noise of steel against steel, and the yelling and screaming. Screams for mercy and yells of blood-lust. She remembered the tears, in her crib, wondering where her parents could be at this time of crisis. The flames were hot, unbearably so. She couldn't scream, the smoke had seized her throat and the crib, for her protection, was now her death trap. But then she saw a shadow, a small lithe body quickly run to her. The shadows body shielded her from the flames' heat, as the shadow held her in her arms. She heard the comforting whisper, the whisper of her savior.

_It's gonna be okay, kiddo. I've got you, no worries._

Fui snapped her eyes open, and rushed to the young leopard's side. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered. Her instincts and memories as a babe had told her that she was the one. The one who had saved her.

* * *

"So you're saying that she saved you?"

"Yeah" sniffed Fui, worried sick about Sǐhǎi "She rescued me from when those scary people attacked my home."

The group had stopped at a remote, small cave in the side of the mountains off on the road they were walking. The campfire's warmth was comforting to the soaked warriors. They all huddled close, leaving space for the unconscious assassin.

"Was she related to you?"

"I think she was really close to Mom."

Fui stopped when she heard a weak groan, and ran over to Sǐhǎi's side. She waited with bated breath as she kneeled in front of the weak leopard. Sǐhǎi turned her head slowly to Fui, eyes wide for a moment in shock, then regained her composure and smiled mischievously.

"Hey there, kiddo." Sǐhǎi looked up from her makeshift bed, and stared at the group that had been watching her "Haven't seen you in a long time, huh? Is this the rag-tag band of misfits I've been hearing about?"

"What happened to you?" Mei Ling asked bluntly, not too trusting or too cautious in her approach to the woman who had mercilessly destroyed her home.

"Same as you guys, I'm afraid," chuckled the leopard quietly "I'm surprised that you haven't left me for dead. Maybe it was my beautiful looks?"

"Why did they attack you? After what you did for them….." Mai Ling said "When you killed everyone at Lee Da and burned my home to the ground."

Fui was about to object, stating that Sǐhǎi would never do such a thing, when Sihai had put a hand on her shoulder after she sat up.

"No, Fui, I did those things." Sǐhǎi looked down, momentarily guilty, but then looked up with a determined face, "I did for personal reasons, mostly…And I don't regret it."

"You don't regret killing all those innocent people?! Maybe we did make a mistake by saving you!" Mei Ling stood up, enraged, and raised a paw to hit Sǐhǎi.

"They're not as innocent as you would believe." Sǐhǎi said seriously, losing the ditzy girl act.

"What do you mean?" asked Mei Ling, edging closer.

"You ever save the day in another village with your big shot friends, but the people end up giving you guys the stink-eye?"

Mei Ling went back to her memories, when she was a Kung Fu master for the Lee Da academy. She had saved a small village from bandits, but few villagers praised her and her companions of the Lee Da academy. Some villagers even called out that they were murderers.

"Yes." Mei Ling whispered, still lost in the haze of her memories.

"Well, you can thank the Lee Da academy for that one. I don't know if it was on orders, for if it was just those men who were out of control. Or if we really didn't deserve it or not. But we were a band of thieves. A huge group, but only the young stole, mostly for the people in our village who couldn't support themselves. Steal from the rich and give to the poor, you know? We weren't that bad, just a few thievery here and there. But we angered a pretty powerful man, and he hired the Lee Da."

"I didn't know of this." Mei Ling grumbled, "I was away on another mission when we got that request."

"Well, they stormed the village, but they couldn't find us. We were pretty good at hiding ourselves. If I knew what would've happened next, I would've just given myself up as soon as they started chasing us towards the village. I guess they got tired of waiting…." Sǐhǎi paused, trying to regain her composure, "They just started beating anyone they could see, just started beating on them…I, I saw Old Man Hong get knocked down, and he was begging for mercy. He was innocent, just an old rice farmer who couldn't get a good harvest going. I had to help him, so…..So I came out of the shadows and…"

Sǐhǎi's voice started trembling, and she looked down at the ground for a moment. Fui started crying quietly, and hugged the leopard.

'I killed a man." Sǐhǎi whispered.

Viper audibly gasped, and tears started to run down her face. Tigress grimaced, and held unto Po's hand for comfort. Po looked away and stared at the ground. The group shared an uneasy look, feeling sympathy for the lonely assassin. Taking a deep breath, she continued her sad story.

"They saw me stab one of them, and they decided the whole village needed to be taught a lesson. They were powerful, those rhinoceros, oxen, and crocodiles. They made quick work of us. They set everything on fire, poured salt on our farmlands, and no one was spared. Not the old, the sick, or the kids. I tried to help, I really did. So did Fui's parents. They…..they got surrounded…..and it wasn't pretty. I rushed for Fui, and found her in her crib. I ran away, and left Fui at the orphanage. I was right to have put her in the orphanage. I knew there were a few that followed me. They caught me, but didn't drag me to a prison. No, no the first thing they did was throw me into a secluded area…..and…and they had their way with me. So many men…..so many times….then, they threw me into a prison. Warden got a hard-on for me, too. After a while, I pleaded for exile, and I finally got it, after the prison guards and warden were through with me…" Sǐhǎi shed bitter tears as she told them her story.

Fui wrapped herself even closer, and her efforts were returned by Sǐhǎi. They comforted each other, being the only two survivors of that tragic day.

"Then, I trained. I trained days, nights, and in between. I made money being an assassin for powerful men. I started gaining a reputation in the lands north of China as a ruthless killer," chuckled Sǐhǎi softly "I'm a monster, the monster no one wants."

As soon as Po heard this, it reminded him of Tigress. Many know Po to be too nice for his own good, and Po agreed. But it couldn't be helped. This girl had been a victim as much as Mei Ling. Po rushed forward and wrapped Sǐhǎi in a tight hug. Sǐhǎi was surprised by the hug, but started to hug Po back. He was soft, cuddly, warm, and he was pretty cute, too. Tigress bit back a growl, she knew that Po was just being kind towards the leopard.

"Your story doesn't have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It's the rest of your story, who you choose to be." Po murmured, "The past…isn't something you can just throw away. It stays with us forever. It's the same for everyone. We live day by day, carrying the past with us. But it's how you decide to live your life today, to make a new past for the future; that's what's important."

Sǐhǎi murmured back something in reply, but it was muffled by Po's fur. No one but Po heard. Po quickly let go of Sǐhǎi with a massive blush on his face, and Sǐhǎi laughed in response. She sashayed up to Po, and whispered genuine thanks into his ear before kissing him softly on the cheek. The only one redder than Po in the face was Tigress, and embarrassment was the furthest thing from her mind.

"I guess you Kung Fu people aren't that bad after all." Sǐhǎi said teasingly, ruffling the fur atop of Po's head.

"That's enough!" Tigress snarled, grabbing Sǐhǎi's arm.

Sǐhǎi's eyes widened when Tigress grasped her arm, and then shifted to a more mischievous look.

"Oh, I see now. I think I should go out for some air." Sǐhǎi meowed mischievously.

"What about your injuries?" Viper asked hesitantly.

"It's alright," Sǐhǎi waved away the comment lazily "It's good to suffer sometimes, no?"

Ignoring the searing pain, she walked out the cave to let Tigress deal with Po. The rest of the group saw Tigress's expression, and quickly followed the leopard, making lame excuses as to why they would want to go outside. Tigress waited for them to leave, and turned ominously to Po with her head down. She radiated a malevolent energy, and Po was beginning to freak out, just a little. He began stuttering obscenities as he shuffled his feet and nervously tapped his fingers together. Tigress walked towards him until Po had hit the cavern wall behind him due to him retreating from Tigress's advancement. Tigress looked up, and her facial expression was something Po had never seen before.

_Is…..is she pouting?_ thought Po, looking into the tiger's face with confusion.

Tigress violently grabbed the back of Po's head, and forced his head down to meet her lips. She gave him a searing kiss that seemed to last for ages. After they broke off, she kissed his lips again quickly, giving him no time to regain his breath. This kiss was rough, and the savagery behind it surprised Po. She shoved him against the wall, and looked at Po deeply. Her face was close to Po's, extremely close. Po trembled, but not from fear anymore. She pressed herself against Po, and teasingly traced her lips just above contact from Po's neck, letting the hot air from her breath tease his fur. She grinded her hips slowly against Po's and started kissing his neck slowly, teasing him. Po moaned and attempted to grab her, but his arms were held back by Tigress's hands. As Tigress bucked her hips slowly against Po's harder, ecstasy filled Po as his eyes closed subconsciously. Po's breath began to become even more erratic and he started breathing harshly against Tigress's neck. She captured his lips again in another violent kiss, not letting Po breathe. Po moaned in her mouth as Tigress purred seductively into his. She separated from Po suddenly, much to his disapproval. Po knees buckled, and he hit the floor, bent over and gasping for air. Tigress leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"You're mine. Don't forget that."

Po couldn't talk, and merely nodded as Tigress walked to the mouth of the cave, hips swaying teasingly. He was still shaking from Tigress's much desired advances, and couldn't help thinking dirty thoughts of Tigress for a moment. Po got up shakily, chuckling lightly, as the rest of the group returned hesitantly.

* * *

As they started packing, Po heard laughter on the far side of the small cave. Mei Ling and Sǐhǎi were howling with laughter, both gripping each other for support. Po grinned as he saw the sight: they were enemies just a short moment ago. It was strange that Sǐhǎi had been at death's door, so close to eternal sleep, yet she laughed so freely. Sǐhǎi caught Po staring at her with a foolish grin on his face, and winked at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she smiled impishly at him. Po blushed, suddenly shy, and quickly packed his things.

"What will you do now, Miss Sǐhǎi?" asked Shifu, enjoying the outdoors.

"She can stay with us!" Mei Ling yelped, quickly interrupting anything that Sǐhǎi was about to say.

"Well, I guess that's settled then…" Sǐhǎi said, picking up Fui in her arms with a warm smile.

Shifu chuckled at the sight before him. The two had been at opposite ends of blades just a day ago. Now they were almost like sisters, after they have found they had much in common. Crane flew next to Mei Ling, and Mei Ling leaned lightly into the avian while walking, comforted by his presence. Monkey and Mantis had been joking around, as Viper laughed at their jokes. Po was blushing as Tigress gave him a sultry look as they held hands, walking together.

The group looked around, caught in the beauty of nature after the storming rain. The skies were a bright blue, as the magnificent clouds floated lazily along the skies. The sun shined with mirth, and the dew on the leaves sparkled in the sun's glory. The cool breeze swept past them, running its fingers through their fur and feathers. The smell of the earth was clean, as if the rain purified the earth.

Sǐhǎi couldn't help but to stop and spread her arms out, letting the winds run through her. She closed her arms and let out a genuine smile, delighted with the nature, and more importantly, her life.

"It seems she have returned to the path." Shifu said, smiling sagely as he once remembered Oogway's teachings.

_Always remember the Path, Shifu. The Path is what will find you yourself, and riches like nothing before._

"Maybe that is what the "Path" was meant to be from the beginning?" asked Shifu to himself, lost in his thoughts.

Shifu felt a presence behind him, and figured it to be the leopard.

"Y'know, regardless of the past, all I can do is keep running. Not from the past, but to the future. There's nothing else I can really do. I just have to believe. Everyone has their own pains, their own despairs." Sǐhǎi said as she looked at the group she left behind to reach Shifu.

They have been playing around, laughing together. Po's eyes shined with a mysterious light as he told jokes to the group. Even Tigress allowed herself to chuckle softly. Mantis and Monkey were howling with laughter, as Viper laughed sweetly, like a wind chime in a soft summer breeze. Crane laughed freely, his wing no longer bothering him. Mei Ling laughed with a hand to cover her mouth, but then snorted. The group erupted into laughter even harder, with Mei Ling joining them in laughter sheepishly.

"But if you're together with someone then..." Sǐhǎi said, looking at the group "Paths are only paths...because they're connected, right?"

"You're surprisingly wise for your age." Shifu said with a small smile.

"Oh, Po taught me a thing or two." Sǐhǎi grinned, pleased with the compliment.

Shifu chuckled, deep in thought of the panda. He was indeed something special, someone that comes around once in a millennium. He has the ultimate power, the power of love and heart. Something truly powerful, indeed. Oogway had been correct; Po brought peace to them all. He transformed the Jade Palace from a warrior's barracks into a warm, loving home. He transformed his daughter, and transformed him as well. Po was a powerful individual. Not in the body, but in the heart.

Crane padded up to Mei Ling, and asked her if she had ever flown before. Mei Ling shook her head, stating she was a feline; air travel didn't seem like her thing.

"You'll never know until you try..." Crane said mischievously, quoting the feline's words to him back when they had met in the moonlight.

Mei Ling sighed; she hadn't been expecting Crane to use her own words against her.

"Okay, but if I want to go dow- AAAGGHHHH!" Mei Ling had been grabbed by Crane as he shot for the air.

Crane accelerated, the wound on his wing no longer weighing him down. Mei Ling had been screaming, tears welling up in her eyes as the cold air pierced her irises. Crane stopped when they were high above the group; they were nothing but dots in the earth now.

"Oh gods, Crane put me down!" Mei Ling screamed, all pretense of being a Kung Fu warrior gone.

"You're just scared because you don't know, Mei Ling." Crane laughed as he twirled in the sky, "The sky's so vast, there's nothing to be afraid of! Just keep breathing."

"I come up here when I need to cheer up; it just...takes my problems away."

Mei Ling started hyperventilating, but then calmed down. She had Crane, and she knew he was never going to let her down. She stared into the empty space. They were above the clouds, and everything was peacefully silent. The sun, it was so close...Mei Ling understood now, she was in a separate world. The skies had their own space, where movement was free, and the earth had no domain. Mei Ling started laughing, enjoying the skies' domain. They whipped around, flying through clouds and spinning in the air. They slowed down to view the scenery.

"Gods, Crane. Everything's so beautiful...so this is what you can get if you have wings. I wish I had wings that could take my problems away."

Crane smiled, and lifted them even higher.

"Wings aren't something you wish for, or even something you receive. Everyone's born with their own set of wings; you just got to find them."

"Well...I guess then...you're my wings then, Crane." Mei Ling said, looking up at the avian shyly.

With a carefree laugh, they soared through the skies, cut through clouds, and danced in the air with the sunlight gleaming. They laughed together, soaring through the air; one with wings, the other with her wings in her heart. Yet both united soaring in the skies under the same sun.

"Brace yourself." Crane said with a smirk.

Mei Ling was about to retort, when Crane dived straight down into the earth. Mei Ling's screams were muffled by the rushing air that filled her ears. Right when it seemed that Crane lost control, he pulled up, and landed softly next to the walking group. Mei Ling gasped as she straightened herself up, and looked at Crane with a glare. Crane sheepishly shrugged and grinned at her fury. They both broke out laughing, there journey through the clouds seemed almost unreal to Mei Ling.

"Thank you, Crane." Mei Ling said gratefully, smiling softly at Crane.

As they walked together, a messenger bird flown towards them with haste. It was Zeng. He looked ragged, worn out. He landed in front of the group, looking nervous and tired. All eyes were on the messenger bird as he struggled to get out his sentence.

"Zeng, where were you this entire time? You never returned to the Jade Palace after I sent you to Xuchang!" Shifu asked, "How did you find us?"

"No...time...Master. Rebel...leader…asks you to...come to him...in Xuchang. They set up a...base for...rebellion." Zeng said weakly, gasping for air "Shin...trailing you...run..."

* * *

**"Maybe the past is an anchor holding us back. Maybe, you have to let go of who you are to become who you will be." - Sex and the City**

**Thank you all so much for reading thus far! Your reviews, follows, and favorites are what keep me going! I decided to make this chapter longer, because, screw it! I might as well! I hope you guys enjoyed those scenes with all those different people. I was going to make it all action-packed, but a recent turn of events in my life directed me into making this chapter pretty much for emotional reasons! I enjoyed writing them, so there was no problems. If there are any plot holes, don't point them out because I don't plan my stories, and I would HATE to have missed something. Don't forget to show me some love with those reviews and follows. Favorites are cool, too!**

**Till Next Time, Audience**

**(LOL, last chapter I got my phrase wrong, left it b/c i wanted to!)**


	9. Chapter 9

"What?" Shifu demanded, as all the playfulness and cheerfulness evaporated from the group.

"There's no time, General Shin, The Monster of The Imperial Three, has been chasing you since your fall! We found the Soothsayer's body in her hut! Go to Xuchang, quickly! You'll be safe there." Zeng flustered, his composure completely gone now.

Sǐhǎi had a look of absolute terror on her face.

"Shin...you mean the panther general? There's a reason why he's nicknamed the Monster of the East..." Sǐhǎi's eyes were wide with fear as she started trembling.

"He's been following us since the fall?" Monkey shook his head in disbelief, "What a demon..."

"I think we should go now." Mei Ling said nervously, as the rest of the group agreed hastily.

They began to run, afraid when the panther might catch up to them. The panther had been tracking them since their little detour in the river. He had killed the Soothsayer, picked up the scent from the group's discarded bandages in the cave, and have been trailing them since. Although they were far away, Shin gambled that he would be able to catch up to them. Then Shin would fall on them with righteous fury, and would sate his thirst for their blood. Shin promised himself that he would tear them apart, one by one. Slowly, he told himself, slowly as they gurgle for mercy, blood clogging their throats as he slowly shredded his prey. He would find them, because in the end, his prey always fell to him.

Shin had been feared by everyone, even the Emperor, the only man he served. In foreign lands, they would tell stories to young children about the savage nightmare demon from China, who would steal away misbehaving children in the night. The panther whose eyes could peer into your soul, who could make even the most hardened criminals to run in absolute fear. These were no exaggerations. The only ones able to control and subdue the Terror of the Imperial Three were his counterparts; the other two Imperial Three members: General Zhao, the Pillar of Justice and Virtue, and General Huāngmò, the Imperial Might.

As they were running, Tigress could have sworn she saw something in the bushes, looking at them. She wanted to stop and tell the group, but their primary objective right now was to stay alive and run, not fight. Tigress disapproved of running, but when the circumstances called for it she would have no choice but to comply. They were literally running for their lives right now, as Shin had been hounding them since their free-fall at the Sacred Pool of Tears. Tigress didn't know what the future may hold for them, whether or not they would actually survive this, but Tigress wasn't afraid at all. She looked at Po as he struggled to breathe as they ran, and smiled. The panda may not know this, but Tigress wasn't afraid, she still had Kung Fu, and still had Po. As Tigress and Po lagged behind, Tigress didn't notice what was ahead of her. She slammed into Sǐhǎi, who had stood stiff. The impact sent her stumbling to the front of the group. Tigress was about to say an apology, when she looked up.

There was a wall of archers, arrows notched, aiming at them. Tigress froze, calculating a way they could avoid this. No avail, however, when more soldiers and archers came from the forest on the sides of the group. Their only escape, the canyon, was closed off by a lone figure. His armor was that of Chinese origin, and his blood-red cape billowed out from behind him.

A tiger with startling scarlet red eyes.

He had a muscular yet slim build. He walked towards them with an air of royalty, slowly and with purpose. At his hip he wore a beautiful sword, fit for a king to use. Though he was starting to age, he had a handsome muzzle, with beautiful orange fur and dark stripes. His eyes never left Tigress, and his walk began to falter, just a step. But Tigress noticed. His eyes betrayed his posture, as all she could see was regret. Was it regret to have ever birthed her? Or was it regret that he would have to kill her? Tigress knew straight away that this tiger had been her sire. She couldn't explain how; call it tiger instincts.

"Tell me why..." Tigress whispered.

Huāngmò lost all strictness in his posture and all pretense of being a general in front of his 300 troops was gone. He rushed forward to meet Tigress, and locked her in an embrace. The group looked around in confusion, as the troops themselves seem to be genuinely happy. Tigress tried to stop the flow of tears, but couldn't help it. All 26 years of isolation, never seeing her parents or where she came from. Huāngmò took Tigress's face in his hands and looked at her with true happiness in his eyes, while tears dropped silently from them. He gave a sad smile, and gently kissed the top of her head.

"You've grown to be a beautiful woman, my precious daughter." He smiled softly and brushed a thumb over her cheek to wipe away a tear.

"Why?" Tigress mumbled as she locked her long-lost father in another embrace, burying her face into his neck.

"Child, I never wanted to leave you. It was my greatest sin, and I have yearned to see you for a very long time. Your beautiful mother, she passed away giving birth to you." Huāngmò's voice was thick with emotion, "I had to send you to an orphanage, because my duties called for it. I could not raise you, nor provide for you in a sense children must be cared for."

"You chose duty over family?" Tigress whimpered softly into his neck.

"I regretted my actions since I sent you away. I...I should have resigned and spent the rest of my life caring for you."

"I love you." Huāngmò whispered to Tigress.

When they separated, Huāngmò had stifled his tears and stared at Tigress with love and affection. Tigress did the same, but she still wanted to know something she had been wondering her whole life.

'What...what was my name, father?"

"Mei Hua...the beautiful flower that will bloom, even in the most trying of storms. The name suits you. The gods work in strange ways, child. You seem to have found your own family right behind you, who love you very much."

As Tigress looked behind her, she found her father's words true. The group behind her had shown her love, affection, family, and romance. Shifu, her father, caretaker, and master who had watched her grow into a full-fledged Master, with her the whole way. Viper, her sister-at-arms, her sole female companion at the Jade Palace who had brought friendship and sisterhood into her life. Mantis, her tiny, short-tempered, erratic brother whom she would trust with her life. Monkey, the comedic, soft-spoken warrior who shown her that there IS indeed a way to make her laugh. Crane was her intelligent, wise, older brother who had always looked out after her when she had been younger at the jade Palace. Mei Ling, although shortly met, was a good companion, and an able friend. Sǐhǎi, though at times they clashed, was her elder, and helped her with Po during their short journey together. Fui, whom Tigress loved like a daughter, looked at her with total love and admiration. And then there was Po. Po, the man whom she loves, the panda that had melted her stone-cold heart. He brought so much joy into her world, and showed Tigress that there was much more than just Kung Fu in life. There was friendship, delicious noodles, a good night's sleep, and most importantly, love.

Tigress looked back at Huāngmò, and smiled at her father. He looked into a pouch on his hip and brought out a beautiful bracelet. It was scarlet, and had character engraved into it.

"Take it. It was your mother's. I always wanted to give this to you, Mei Hua." Huāngmò looked at her dotingly, "Now I can."

"Sir, Shin approaches with 400 strong." said a silver wolf, bowing at Tigress and Huāngmò.

"Thank you Bak Chan. Mei Hua, leave immediately. Once Shin marks one as his prey, they don't escape." Huāngmò's eyes lost the love and affection and were replaced with cold calculation, "I will stop him. It's time I tamed the Beast."

"Bak Chan, go with Mei Hua and escort her to Xuchang. Come back once they reach their destination safely."

Bak Chan, Huāngmò's wolf vice-general, bowed low before his general. He was quite an attractive wolf, his coat was light grey, and his eyes were piercingly yellow. He was nothing like Shen's wolves, who were raving savages that had grotesque features. He had an elegant look about him, but his sword on his hip and battle scars contradicted that.

"Madam, if you would be as kind as to follow me." Bak Chan spoke softly, looking at the rest of the group, "Stay close to me, please."

Tigress took one last glance at her father. He looked back and smiled confidently at her. Then he did something Tigress would have never expected. He bowed low to her, with one fist in the other paw.

"May you live a long and prosperous life, Heroes of China."

The ultimate form of subordination and respect. Why would do that for them? In front of 300 of his men, he willingly established himself as a subordinate to the group. Sǐhǎi looked absolutely surprised, but ended up grinning. Everyone with the exception of Sǐhǎi bowed back to him, and rushed off into the canyon for Xuchang.

Huāngmò looked up into the sky. He could almost see the approving figure of his wife. He sighed in relief. It turned out that Mei Hua had not been upset with him; all she wanted was to be loved. His thoughts remained on his lovely feline daughter, and her future. He would protect his only remaining family at all costs.

A flustered soldier approached Huāngmò.

"My lord, General Shin is here! What should we do?" the soldier's eyes were wide with fear as he trembled.

"Do not worry, Shang." Huāngmò's eyes shown resolve and a fire none could describe, "I will protect you."

Those few words seemed to have calmed down the soldier, as he realized that General Huāngmò, the Imperial Might, stood before him. His presence alone regained the soldier's composure and the soldier returned to his position. Huāngmò's army of 300 parted for Shin and his 400 men. Shin walked up, disturbingly calm and cheery.

"Hey Stripes, the Hunt doing good? Could've sworn they went this way...Wow! I guess they forced themselves through! Or maybe….." Shin's eyes narrowed, and his true blood-lust shown through, "You let them go?"

Just from Shin's presence alone, the raw blood-lust and murderous intent, left all soldiers shaking, even from Shin's own army. The only one unfazed was the tiger general, who merely looked at the panther with disgust.

"So tell me...you want it quick and easy, or slow and painful? I'm giving you a choice because I respect you..." Shin's eyes twitched with insanity, as his grin seemed gaunt and fearsome.

"May the heavens find salvation for your tormented soul." Huāngmò readied himself, drawing his intricate sword.

With an insane shriek, Shin launched himself against the tiger. As did the two generals' armies.

* * *

As they ran, Viper couldn't help but to ask the strikingly handsome wolf the question on her mind.

"Why would the Emperor want Kung Fu to be destroyed?"

The wolf sighed; he knew this question would be asked. He didn't want to believe in the answer he would give, but it was the truth.

"The Emperor...seems to have gone insane." The wolf grimaced as they ran, "His recent decisions have put us all on edge recently."

"How so?" Shifu implored, curious in what had changed the Emperor.

"He has turned increasingly violent, he has begun to heavily tax our people for the war effort, he sentences innocent men to a traitor's execution, and he installed massive tariffs on our silk. China is slowly dying." said the wolf softly, "He wages war on 8 different countries, spread our forces too thin, destroyed all peace negotiations held previously, and has begun to attempt to kill off Kung Fu Masters. Relations with Kung Fu masters have always been strained, but we were beginning to think that peace between us would begin."

"It still can." Shifu stated, looking at the wolf with dead seriousness, "The Emperor must fall."

"Not with General Zhao and I in your way."

A petite figure was ahead of them, sword already drawn. With an abrupt halt, they stared at the snow leopard in shock. They had never noticed her get in front of them. Her cold gaze had no emotion; it was completely detached of any feelings. Her gaze rested on Sǐhǎi, and her eyes slightly narrowed. No one had ever escaped her blade, not even once. The fact that someone had survived irked her slightly. No matter, they will soon perish at the point of her blade.

"Why, Suì-Fēng, the Emperor has gone insane! You know this, yet you choose not to act!" Bak Chan snarled, his soft-spoken voice deepening with his growl.

"Those who stand in General Zhao's way are my enemy." Suì-Fēng said coldly, her frosty gaze shifting over to Tigress.

Bak Chan grimaced, and drew out his blade.

"Mistress Mei Hua, forgive me for my insubordination, but I request you and your companions to go to Xuchang without me. I wish you all the best of luck for your mission."

Suì-Fēng darted to engage combat with the group, but was intercepted by Bak Chan. Suì-Fēng frowned at him, and watched the group slip away past her. She turned her attention to Bak Chan, who was blocking her way to the group running for Xuchang. She let out a frustrated sigh, and got up into a passive position.

"I suppose I will have to deal with you first." Suì-Fēng murmured, looked calm and peaceful.

Bak Chan dropped his blade limply to his side, and nodded sternly. He quickly blocked a surprise attack by Suì-Fēng. She had used her position to attempt to make Bak Chan drop his guard. Little did she know that he was ready for her the entire time. Bak Chan allowed himself a smile, before getting ready in a defensive stance.

"Let's begin."

* * *

**"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone can give to another person; he believed in me." - Jim Valvano.**

**I'll be the first to admit, this chapter isn't one of my best...But I'm still trying! You guys gave me the reviews, follows, and favorites, so I'm gonna give it all I got till there's nothing left! This chapter was mostly for forwarding the setting shift and getting some OCs out there. Don't worry, there isn't gonna be like eighty of them, I have a...way to make sure of that. I hope you guys are enjoying the series so far! YOU guys is what keeps this series going!**

**Hey, if you enjoyed this chapter...let me know! Reviews are awesome! Don't be afraid to hit those follow and favorite buttons!**

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	10. Chapter 10

Bak Chan opened his eyes slowly before letting out a groan. He stared at the deep gash in his hip that was gushing his blood into the earth. His back rested on the trunk of the tree, as he stared into the sky. He couldn't get a clear view; the trees just outside the mouth of the canyon blocked the skies with their leaves and branches. Everything was quiet, with the exception of his pounding heart, and the sound of his heavy breathing. Bak Chan attempted to get up on his feet, but couldn't find the strength to haul himself up. He looked at his trembling paws, clenched his teeth, and willed himself to get up. After much struggling, he began to trudge slowly, before collapsing again. Bak Chan let out a frustrated growl; he didn't expect the feline to be so swift in combat. He knew he wouldn't win, but he wished he could have bought Tigress more time. He chuckled with dark humor; if Suì-Fēng left an enemy, it usually meant she had severed an artery and that her opponent would die soon.

With a grunt of pain, he began to slowly take his armor off. He organized his armor in an orderly fashion, and set it ahead of him. Bak Chan slowly stood up, and closed his eyes. The color around his world was beginning to fade, and he wanted his last sights of the living world to be in color. He could hear his heartbeat dimming down and his blood stop running down his leg, but didn't feel hope. Bak Chan was no fool; his heartbeat dimmed down because he was dying, his blood flow was stemmed because his body had no blood left to give. He was sorry that he had been so useless to his general and his daughter in their time of need. As his muscles began to fail him, he pulled in strength from deep within him to remain standing. He slammed his blade downward into the earth to steady himself. He could feel his senses dead, his muscle and sinew no longer his own, for death claimed him now.

"Is this the end?" Bak Chan murmured, as he put his head down, still standing.

* * *

Blood trailed Shin as he limped through the canyon path. The battle had been one of epic proportions, and no one was left unscathed. With the exception of 37 men, all 400 of his troops had died in combat with the Imperial Might and his men. Although Shin had delivered the final blow, General Huāngmò delivered one of his own.

"Gen-general…Your arm…it's-"

"Do you think I didn't notice?" Shin asked with cold cruelty, glaring at his subordinate.

The tiger had managed to completely hack off one of his arms, thankfully his left. The hole it left had been spilling blood profusely and the panther felt weak for once in his life. He stopped for a moment to assess the damage. He applied a massive tourniquet onto the small part of his shoulder he had left with an arrow from one of his dead troops. He wrapped bandages and bindings around his leg to halt the blood flow coming from his gash on his leg. He had tightened the new found abdomen armor on himself to prevent the spillage of his innards unto the earth. How he survived this, no one knew exactly. Shin contemplated it for a moment, and decided it was his blood thirst for his prey that kept him going. He slowly trudged through the exit, and he spotted a lone wolf, standing without any armor on a dirt road. Blood surrounded the canine as his arms rested on the handle of his blade that was stuck in the ground.

Shin had limped in front of the wolf to see if he was alive or not. With an amused chuckle, he kicked the blade from underneath the wolf's grasp. The wolf had impressively remained standing. Shin allowed himself to be impressed temporarily, then quickly retained his status.

"The fool died standing!" Shin darkly chuckled, before pushing the wolf down and stepping on his armor while going his way.

The rest of his troops looked at the wolf with regret, and stepped respectively around the dead vice-general. Though he betrayed them, the wolf had won the respect of most, if not all, of China's Imperial forces. He was known for his kindness, his valor, and incorruptibility. Shin, on the other hand, was infamous for his brutality, his savagery, and blood-thirst. Every man with him right now have contemplated the same thoughts: they could kill this monster right now. Every time they reached a decision they groped for their sword with their trembling eyes never leaving the back of the weakened panther. But they thought of his blood splattered blade, his piercing eyes, and the fear of their commander held their sword-arms still.

"You there. You're….an albatross, correct?"

"Y-yes, sir!" squawked the albatross, clearly startled by the panther's dialogue.

"Fly me towards Xuchang…Make it fast."

The armored bird looked ferocious, but in the shadow of the panther, appeared like a simple bird. He hurriedly took off into the air, with Shin grabbing both the bird's feet. They became a dot in the sky in a matter of seconds.

* * *

Po and the rest of the group arrived to the entrance of the massive tower and buildings with iron walls surrounding it. Intricate patterns were etched on the walls that surrounded the tower that reached the skies. Flags of an independent Xuchang billowed in the wind as soldiers on top of the walls ran to the edge to see who their visitors were. Word has traveled fast throughout the city that the famous Dragon Warrior and his brave Furious Five were coming to reside in their walls, guiding and assisting the resistance efforts. Little did the townspeople know that the Dragon Warrior was a panda, and the mighty Grandmaster Shifu who could defeat armies alone was a mere red panda. They also didn't know who the Furious Five were, because they never heard more of their exploits except of saving China from Shen. Their ignorance was excusable; the city is far away from the Valley of Peace. When they approached the gate, they were immediately met by guards of a different assortment of animals. There were tigers, gorillas, eagles, snakes, and wolves; armed to the teeth and ready to fight. Once they saw Fui, Sǐhǎi, Mei Ling, Viper, and Tigress, they quickly dropped their weapons and began to comically flex out their muscles and puff out there chests.

"Don't you know it's dangerous out here, sweetheart?" a male tiger said, approaching Tigress cockily, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"We don't really need protection." Mei Ling grimaced at the advancing males.

It was obvious, as the guards pushed away Po, Crane, Shifu, Monkey, and Mantis , that they had courting the females of their group in their minds. The one getting the most unwanted advances was Tigress, which was no surprise to the men. She was the most beautiful of the group, and no matter how many bindings on her body she applied, was obviously curvaceous enough to attract the attention of most males. Sǐhǎi and Mei Ling were right on par, although beneath Tigress, were quite the catch themselves. They were surrounded by the guards, each competing for their attention. Thankfully, there were only a few snakes there to hit on Viper.

"Baby, I'd go to the moon for you." crooned a leopard at Tigress.

"Yes, but would you stay there?" Tigress hissed venomously to the leopard, hurting his pride.

Tigress's cold reactions to the men discouraged most, but many still attempted to court with her. Mei Ling and Viper had less luck in repelling the men; both were too nice to coldly turn them away. Sǐhǎi was enjoying the attention, and coyly led the men on, none able to foreshadow the cruel ending the feline had planned for them.

Crane was furious, but held back his rage. Mantis and Monkey felt indifferent, but watched for Po's reaction. Shifu grumbled and waited for a superior officer to come and fetch them. Po looked at the gathering of men, and merely smiled. Po pouted, and waited patiently with Shifu. Sǐhǎi spotted Po pouting, and had a mischievous glint in her eyes. She sashayed up to Tigress, and whispered into her ear. At first, Tigress flattened her ears and hissed, but Sǐhǎi whispered some more and Tigress looked up at Po with an interesting look.

She grinned mischievously, and Po began to worry. She began to uncharacteristically flirt with the guards that surrounded her. She laughed at corny jokes, smiled coyly at the guards, and even deftly brushing their chest with her paw. Sǐhǎi looked at her actions encouragingly, while Mei Ling looked horrified. Po began to grit his teeth in anger, and looked with fury. He knew why she was doing this. Tigress wanted Po to be more dominant in their relationship, Tigress wanted to make Po jealous. Po muttered to himself darkly as he began to walk towards the females surrounded by guards. As he began to step towards them, he was interrupted by a city official welcoming them in the city.

* * *

As Po and the rest of the group walked through the town, Po couldn't help but be upset at his lover. The tiger had tried to start conversation with the panda, yet was coldly snubbed out by Po. Tigress tried to converse with him again, to state she was only playing around with him. Tigress was not known for her subtleness, or her patience. She soon lost her patience and began to yell.

"Po, I was only joking! You're so dense it's ridiculous!"

Po ignored her, his anger settling deep in his body as his body began to tense. He began to feel as if his body wasn't his own.

"Po, why aren't you listening to me?" Tigress hissed, clearly frustrated due to the panda's apathy, "You-"

But before she could finish her verbal abuse, she was thrown into a building wall. She was taken back at first glance, yet she remained her icy glare at Po, ready to continue her verbal abuse with her razor tongue. But her razor-sharp tongue was dulled when her lover towered over her, trapping her body against the wall. Po had captured both of her wrists in his hands, and gripped her arms above her body. Although Tigress was much stronger than she appeared, she was surprisingly powerless to Po's sudden advance. Her lips betrayed a slight tremble and her knees quivered for a moment.

"Po, what are you doing?" she asked loudly, panic-stricken as citizens of Xuchang and the rest of the group surrounded the side of the building with interest. The guards gathered as well, as lewd thoughts ran through their heads.

"Quiet." Po said, expressing his single thought with a mixture of softness, dominance, and firmness.

Tigress wasn't used to seeing this side of Po, yet a darker side to her enjoyed being dominated by her lover. She quickly shut off said side, and attempted the resist feebly. It was no use; her body couldn't seem to operate as she stared into his beautiful jade eyes.

"Po, get off of-" Tigress said shakily before getting interrupted as Po pressed his mouth against hers.

Tigress's eyes widened at the unusual rough, demanding kiss that was easy to resist, yet she found herself closing her eyes as her lips worked with his. After a long moment, Po pulled away with a triumphant smirk, his jade eyes glinting with conquest as his hot breath tickled her cheek.

"Po?" Tigress asked weakly, before regaining her senses, "Get off me _now_."

This wasn't good. Her senses were going haywire, the ice in her eyes returning as the fire tingling in her lips subsided. She felt light-headed, dizzy from the panda's rough advances. Her mind was yearning for two opposite things as her body began to tremble.

"Get off of me-"

Tigress was once again interrupted by Po as his head swooped down, capturing her lips with his. This time he pushed it even further; he slithered his tongue inside of her mouth. Tigress attempted to resist again, but her defenses were all but broken now. Po was allowed easy access, and took it to his advantage. Tigress's eyes fluttered closed, and her mind became numb as her body was lit to life. She subconsciously began to kiss him back, eager for more contact. Po's lips tore from hers, leaving her breathless. The panda had noticed the accelerated rise and fall of her chest, her clearly evident blush, and her eyes begging him to continue with her knowledge. His tongue flicker her cheek, and Po got even closer to Tigress than before.

"Tell me to stop, Tigress." Po breathed out huskily, driving Tigress insane.

He leaned forwards again, watching her eyes as he bent down for another kiss. Everyone around them stared at the couple. Shifu's eye twitched in disbelief as his mouth opened in horror. The rest of the group looked in amazement, with the exception of Fui covering her eyes with disgust. They are witnessing something truly special. Tigress, the ice queen, the stoic virtuous kung fu master, the unfaltering leader, was reduced to a mewling, trembling, hot mess.

When he bit her lower lip, she gasped, but refused to halt his advances. When he sucked on her upper lip, she mewled and whimpered for him. When he kissed the corner of her mouth, her lips parted wide, practically begging for his tongue to enter her mouth. When they separated, their breaths mingled as they stared into each other's eyes with intensity. A battle of dominancy was taking place right now, and Tigress was losing this one-sided war.

They continued their skirmish for long moments. It seemed to have lasted for hours, both to the audience and to the couple. Tigress's eyes were weak, as she poorly attempted to glare at the panda. She was quivering as her arms were so weak she couldn't even attempt to fight Po's grip anymore. She was powerless to stop the tremors coming within her body, the purrs erupting from her chest. Po ignored her and went for another kiss. Tigress looked away from the panda, denying him access to her lips. Po growled huskily before attacking the nape of her neck. He began sucking on her neck, leaving bruises and marks along her neck visible through fur. Tigress faced back to Po, and after a series of heated kisses, she looked into his eyes.

"Stop."

Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. Her eyes begged him to continue, but they also told him to stop. Her arms were limp with desire, yet she remained fighting his grip. She shook with lust, however she looked exhausted. Tigress's eyes no longer shot Po with a glare. Her public embarrassment, the traveling, and the overall experience so far for her had drained her. It was clearly evident in her eyes that she was sorry, and she had begged him to forgive her for the harmless flirting earlier. Suddenly Po felt the guilt crash into his mind all at once. She didn't deserve this public embarrassment, especially not now. Was this the way to treat the one he loved, the one who had poured her heart out to him? He turned from a confident look of conquest into a soft, stern frown. He gently kissed her lips, not with heated lust of passion, but rather a quiet reassurance of committed love. He looked into the recesses of her pleading eyes, and a silent conversation was spoken through their eyes. Po understood what Tigress wanted.

Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms. She rested her head against his neck and snuggled as close as possible to him. She dozed off while Po pecked her forehead and walked towards the massive tower they were heading for hours ago, the disgruntled group and escorts following suit.

* * *

It was night, and Tigress was getting ready to go to bed. The masters of Xuchang had suggested they rest before they begin anything of importance. Everybody had their own separate rooms, and Po and Tigress were no exception. Tigress looked out her window with a soft gasp. The moon was massive in the dark sky, shining so brightly the darkness wasn't really there anymore. The stars accented the night sky as they shined with vigor. Countless homes and buildings contained sleeping villagers, all sleeping in their beds, dreams filling their heads. It was silent, and the soft wind seemed to whisper into Tigress's ear. It softly ruffled her fur, and a few escaped leaves flew into the dark sky. Tigress closed her eyes, enjoying the midnight's atmosphere. It felt as if it was putting on a show, just for her. She had traded her scarlet vest and silk training pants for a loose tunic that reached her knees. She thought of today's events, meeting her father, running for her life, and her situation in public with Po.

Po.

Tigress felt guilty for the torment she put the panda in when she had been flirting with the guards. She had no interest whatsoever with the brutes, but Sǐhǎi told her it would make Po more aggressive. That's all she wanted, for Po to grab the steering wheels for once. She chastised herself; Po was fine the way he is, and Tigress had no jurisdiction to change him. With a sigh, she stared into the night sky, feeling less bliss and closed her eyes to think. Tigress was so deep in her thought she couldn't sense a certain panda creeping up behind her.

Po wrapped his arms around her, and could hear Tigress sigh in contentment. She leaned against Po, enjoying his presence.

"Po…I'm sorry for what I did to you today."

"Don't worry about it, Ti. For what it's worth, I'm sorry, too."

He deftly trailed kisses along the nape of her neck while caressing her stomach and arms. Tigress sighed with pleasure, and began to softly purr. She turned to face him and met his lips with her own. They sat like this, under the full moon's light, embraced in a passionate kiss. They separated, foreheads still touching, as their breaths mingled with each other's in the cool air. Tigress captured Po's lips with hers and led the panda to her bed. She looked at him with complete love and trust, and cupped his cheeks with her hands. Po stared back into her scarlet red irises, trapped in the passion her eyes held. His hands began to search her body, caressing her with tender loving care. Po traced kisses up her arms, around her neck, and met her lips gently. Tigress's gentle purring grew louder as she enjoyed her lover's touch. She was lying on her bed with Po towering over her, on his hands and knees above her body. Her gaze never left his as she gently smiled at the panda.

"I love you, Po. I don't know how many times I wished I could tell you that." she gently whispered as her arms went around Po's neck.

"I know." Po murmured softly, lost in her beautiful eyes.

"I want to give you everything tonight." Tigress whispered.

Po began to protest weakly, stating something about walls being able to hear easily through. Tigress simply put a finger to his lips, and smiled confidently. She still wanted to pick up where they had left off earlier in the streets. She wanted him, and she needed him _now._

"No more talking." Tigress simply said before she dragged the panda on top of her.

_The night is young, and so are we._

* * *

**"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable." - Bruce Lee**_  
_

**Hello, my beautiful people out there reading this story! I'm real sorry for such slow update times, but school and social life is holding me back! I promise to go hard to finish the moment I have free time alone. I hope you guys liked this chapter, it feels like I have a pattern to these chapters. It feels like I'm going: action-emotional-action-emotional...It's annoying! Too predictable! So I'm going to try and put them together in chapters from now on! **

**Don't be afraid to show some love, insight, and opinions in the reviews. I ain't afraid of new ideas or opinions! Some favorites or followers would be awesome, too. **

**Faith, Consistency, and Hard Work - FCHW**

**GOD FIRST GOD BLESS - G1GB**

**Till Next Time, Audience!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry for not updating in a long time! School's been a bitch to handle, and I got a life, too! Not that I don't enjoy writing, I really do. I just wanted to say that I'm not going to go on a hiatus and not finish the story like some other slack-jawed, yellow-bellied, writers out there (jk, jk)! I don't have a plan, but I'll be damned if I don't finish this story. I guess I needed to get that off my chest, and I hope you all enjoy the chapter ahead.**

* * *

Po woke in the morning, the sunlight gently streaming into the room. He yawned and attempted to get up. A weight on his shoulder prevented Po from getting up, and Po then remembered that he was in Tigress's room. He looked down at the sleeping feline. She cuddled against the panda, the sheets of her bed covering her exposed body. She had a smile lit on her face as she slept while a small comforting purr continued to rumble from her chest. The sight made Po's heart melt, and with a soft smile he settled back down on his pillow. He lovingly stroked her head while looking at her relaxed face. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, and so happy. Po didn't have the heart to wake her up, but he knew she would've wanted him to. So he gently kissed her forehead and whispered Tigress's name. She mumbled incoherent words softly, burying her face in his fur. Po softly chuckled, and ran his hand down her back to her bottom. Tigress arched her back, and purred loudly. Po grinned and affectionately kneaded her velvet ears, earning a few mewls.

"C'mon, Ti. You got to get up." Po gently disturbed her.

Tigress hummed with discomfort as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her eyes fell on Po, and she leisurely stretched before smiling at her panda. She rested her head on his chest and an arm on Po's belly.

"We never had time enough to be like this." she whispered say both of them relaxed under the silence and sunlight.

Po silently agreed. The pair had never been able to relax like a regular couple should; they were too busy fighting for their lives. Po yearned for the day when he could enjoy the night sky with his love as they watched the full moon shine its light on them. Or a day traveling, just the two of them alone exploring the world together. Maybe just sitting here like now, just enjoying each other's company and the peace of early morning. Neither Po nor Tigress knew how bad each other just wanted to be together, instead of fighting and running.

"Po…for once in my life, I don't want to fight. I don't want to protect people." Tigress stared into Po's eyes, "I just want to be with you."

Po nodded slowly in agreement, and gently rubbed the tiger's back.

"Later…when all this is over…I'll take you across the world. To see new places, different things, and meet new friends. And when we're alone, we'll talk. Talk about all the things normal couples talk about; our lives, our friends, us." Po whispered, emotion thick in his voice.

For some odd reason, tears began to fall from his eyes. He couldn't fathom why. Maybe it was the stress of the current predicament they were in. Or maybe it was that he wanted so badly to enjoy regular life with his love, his little tiger. Maybe he was tired of the killings, the terror, the fear of what was to become, and what will never be.

"We never did get to talk to each other as a normal couple." Tigress murmured downheartedly.

Both Po and Tigress had difficulty holding in their emotions at this moment.

"You know that'd be difficult…We have a duty to protect the people of the Valley. And I don't exactly enjoy traveling or meeting new people," Tigress murmured to her lover, "But for some odd reason…I'd like that."

Thumbing off the tears that threatened to fall off of her lover's eyes, she smiled tearfully at Po.

"Maybe it's because I'm with you."

Po smiled, and gently kissed the feline, brushing the tears from her eyes. Tigress's eyes fluttered close, and she purred appreciatively.

They lay in bed together, listening to their heartbeats and breath as they took a moment to compose themselves.

"By the way…last night was amazing, Po," Tigress purred, "Your might is truly legendary, Dragon Warrior."

Adding that last teasing touch, she rolled of her bed and stretched, in all her exposed glory. She smirked at her lover's face, and slowly got dressed after applying her bindings. Po got dressed, and headed out to where they promised the rest of the group where they would meet.

…..

Po and Tigress met up with the rest of the Five, Mei Ling, Sǐhǎi, and Fui just outside the grand tower. Shifu had gone to discuss politics and plans with the masters of Xuchang, leaving the rest of them to do as they please until the formal dinner feast with the masters of Xuchang.

"Had a good night's sleep?" Sǐhǎi asked Tigress mischievously, causing the tiger the blush profusely.

_So Po _was_ right, _Tigress thought to herself, _They were able to hear us…_

Before Sǐhǎi and the others could tease the two lovers, they were alerted by the presence of Fui. They had forgotten that the young ocelot was able to hear their conversation. Immediately, all talk of the two's heated night of passion went up in smoke. Fui was too young, and a slip of words could leave her young mind quite disturbed.

"What do you want to do today, Fui?" Mei Ling said as she smiled, crouching next to the child.

"Let's have fun today!" cheered Fui, ecstatic at the prospect of a fun-filled day for once.

"Okay, kiddo! Let's do this." Sǐhǎi stretched leisurely before looking at Fui with an impish glint in her eyes.

Their day began with them attending a music festival near the lower section of the massive city. There, the musicians set the streets with life as their music floated through the air. Fui danced with joy as Sǐhǎi joined her, laughing all the while. The musicians saw the two felines dance, and began to play louder, beckoning others to join. Soon, the streets were filled with lively people, all dancing together. Citizens looked out their windows to see the joyful dances and couldn't help but to feel inclined to join. Sǐhǎi took Fui on her shoulders and began to jump around laughing freely, delighting the feline on her shoulders. The rest of the group began to join, the music's melody set deep within their veins as the drums matched their heartbeats perfectly. Po was about to join, but looked back to Tigress. She had her head down, shyly gazing at the ground. Po had remembered how fond Tigress was of the folk dances in the Valley, and knew she wished to join. Not taking no for an answer, Po grabbed Tigress and began to dance with her. Tigress was hesitant at first, shuffling along slowly, but began to loosen up at Po's encouragements. Tigress began to move her body fluidly and gracefully, laughing as she and Mei Ling began to dance joyfully together. Po looked back and smirked at Tigress with a knowing look in his eyes, before getting abducted by a child-free Sǐhǎi to dance.

…..

After a few long moments of dancing, the group had left the music festival, still laughing and slightly tired. They relaxed with a long walk around a peaceful park, full of small ponds and rest stops around. The beautiful park looked something like a royal courtyard, with small bridges and little rooftops with comfortable bamboo flooring beneath them. Tigress took Fui by the hand and led her around, showing her the different species of flowers and nature around them. They stopped at a small pond, where Tigress crouched by Fui to see the lotus flowers floating peacefully in the water.

"Wow! Auntie Ti, what are those called?" asked Fui excitedly, pointing at the beautiful pink flowers floating along peacefully.

"Those are lotus flowers, Fui. Their petals close and sink underneath the water at night, but rise up in the dawn again. They symbolize purity of mind and heart," Tigress said casually, before taking a flower from the water and gently placing it behind Fui's ear, "Like you."

Fui beamed at the comment, and hugged the tiger in a loving embrace. Tigress chuckled before hugging her back, and lifted her up on her shoulders. The group had spent more time talking, joking with one another, and walking around the beautiful scenic area before stopping at a rest stop. It was a small cozy place, with the bamboo flooring and small cushions as seats stationed near the edge. Monkey found an abandoned mahjong board piece and insisted that they play.

…..

"Oh! Mahjong! I win again!" Viper cheered happily, earning groans from her opponents.

Viper had managed to beat Crane, Monkey, and Mantis for the fourth straight time in a row. Fui and Mei Ling cheered on Crane, him being the only one even getting close the reptile in the games played so far. Po had taken a nap with his arms and legs sprawled out, in addition to Tigress curled up on his belly. Fui sat in between Mei Ling's crossed legs, vigorously encouraging Crane. Sǐhǎi had been behind Viper, leaning in and whispering to the reptile encouragement and strategy before another match. Crane grumbled while setting up the tiles, after paying Viper of course. Mantis and Monkey had begun to take their frustrations out on each other, arguing and rolling around fighting. The comical sight brought laughter to the members of their group that were awake. Monkey and Mantis continued their brawling, and accidently rolled into the sleeping form of Po. They bounced off the giant panda, but disturbed the sleeping couple. Po got up and dozily smiled at his friends, but Tigress had awoken with a dangerous glint in her eyes. With a roar, she chased the monkey and the bug on all fours, yelling threats at them as they ran for their lives. Viper, Sǐhǎi, Mei Ling, Crane, and Fui began to roar with laughter at the sight of the enraged tiger chasing her friends around the small park. Po merely looked on drowsily before falling asleep again, this time with Fui jumping on his belly for a comfortable nap.

...

After a quick nap, the group had traveled just outside the park, where a small crowd had formed. Two puppeteers had set up a puppet play, and were introducing the play right as the group had joined them. Delighted, Fui begged the group to stay and watch; the group agreed enthusiastically. The puppet show had been a comedy sketch of a wolf looking for a mate. It turned out the mate he thought he was destined to be with was a lion in disguise. The comedy soon turned into a romantic tragedy, two completely separate species separated by the rules of society. Interspecies relationships were not generally tolerated in China. Po took Tigress's hand as they watched, and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She turned to meet his gaze; a small tear in her eyes, as they watched the puppet play that made them all laugh and cry at the same time. When it was over, the puppeteers drew out unrelated puppets to answer questions about the play they had witnessed. It was mainly for comical uses, with their witty responses and humorous puppet performance was they answered inconsequential questions

"Does their story have a happy ending?" Tigress asked curiously, asking her question before anyone else could even get theirs in.

Tigress had to know; their story had been so much like Tigress's. She had to know the answer, whether this could all work out in the end or not. The play had ended rather callously; it never specified whether or not the couple had a happy ending. It had left off a conversation they both had, how they were never going to separate no matter what. Tigress's grip on Po's paw tightened. The puppeteers saw the couple, and their witty remarks and hilarity stopped suddenly. There seemed to be a serious air between the puppeteers and Tigress; everyone else unaware.

"Whether or not they had a happy ending, is for you to decide, Miss." the female puppeteer said gently.

After they had answered some more questions, they stepped out the booth they had been hiding in. Tigress, disappointed in her answer she was given, did not notice until they had come out from their wooden refuge. The two puppeteers were a mild-mannered wolf and a beautiful lioness. Tigress gasped in recognition; the two puppeteers had met her shocked eyes and they smiled. They had bowed low and received a roaring applause; no one else seemed to notice they resembled their puppets. The two had walked away leisurely after packing, following a dusty path together hand-in-hand. The two of them turned back, and stared at Po and Tigress doing the same. Po was oblivious, and was conversing with Viper about the amazing quality of the play. The wolf winked at Tigress while the lion smiled at her, the lion's eyes had a certain light of understanding in them. They turned around and began to travel the dusty lonely road again, the two puppet lovers finding comfort in each other on their lonesome road. Tigress smiled; she decided the ending was happy after all.

…..

Fui and the rest of the group had decided to get a painting of them together to commemorate the special day it has been so far. They stopped at a small house that had been known throughout the city for their paintings. Po walked in first and was immediately served by the old painter.

"Do you need something, sir?"

"I was wondering if we could get a family portrait picture together."

The old pig looked at the strange group before him; none of them looked related to the giant panda.

"Sir, you need your family here with you if you want a family portrait." chuckled the pig, looking back at Po.

Po frowned slightly, and smiled as his eyes fell upon his strange group of people.

"They are my family." Po said softly with a smile.

The old pig looked at Po with a strange glint in his eyes. The pig was reminded of when he was young, when he had friends he would not hesitate to call brothers and sisters. He nodded for Po to go get his friends and decide on how they would be portrayed. When Po held his hand out to pay, the old pig shook his head and gently pushed the money back to the panda.

"No charge." the pig smiled, getting his paint ready.

…..

The Moon Festival was beginning as the sun set beneath the earth. Every house adorned beautiful paper lanterns that illuminated the streets. The group was guided by the children running around with their own individual lanterns on a stick, running around excitedly. As they entered the center of the city, they were greeted with a massive festival gathering similar to a carnival. There were booths to play games, an area to dance, and overall festivities all around. They stopped by booths that sold delicious moon cakes and settled on top of a colossal grassy hill near the edge of the center. They lounged on their backs, enjoying the moon in its splendor. The cold air nipped at their ears, but they enjoyed the chilly air. The grass beneath them swayed with their fur as the wind swept through them. Po was snacking on moon cakes as Tigress lay next to Po, holding Fui on top of her. Viper coiled up beside Tigress, looking at the stars. Mantis had hopped on Po's stomach, and Monkey lay on the other side of Po. Sǐhǎi and Mei Ling sat above them, accompanied by Crane.

Fui held the family portrait tight in her arms and sighed happily. This day had been the most fun she had in her life, ever. She missed her old man Feng, but found new family in Po and the rest of his family. Fui was safe, full, comfortable, and had family and friends; life was good. The night was still young, and they all sighed happily whilst gazing at the moon and stars in the night sky.

"The moon looks beautiful tonight, wouldn't you agree?" Sǐhǎi mumbled at Mei Ling.

"It sure is, sister." Mei Ling said happily.

Sǐhǎi started to darkly chuckle, remembering the rhino at Lee Da, but was brought to earth when she caught Mei Ling staring. Sǐhǎi put off Mei Ling's questioning look and hummed a little tune she had learned when she was little. She ran childhood memories through her minds, and asked the rest of her new-found family a question.

"Was it everything you thought it would be?" Sǐhǎi murmured, looking into the sky, "Being Kung Fu Masters, heroes, that kind of thing."

"I always wanted to be a hero when I was a kid." she added, looking at the moon with delicate intensity.

Po sat up looking surprised, and fell back into the grass with a grin plastered onto his face.

"It was everything I thought it'd be and a whole lot more." Po said with his eyes closed, smiling happily.

Sǐhǎi mumbled something incoherent as she turned her head, looking to the grassy plain on her right.

"What was that?"

"What's…what's in it for you?" Sǐhǎi muttered, avoiding Po's gaze as he sat up and looked behind him at her.

"I like that the people around me are happy!" Po said, smiling kindly at Sǐhǎi, "If they're happy, then I'm happy!"

She looked astonished by the selfless comment. She never knew anyone who would be so willing to sacrifice for the sake of other people before. For a moment Sǐhǎi was caught off-guard, and then quickly regained her composure. Sǐhǎi snorted, and kicked the panda with her foot. Po rolled down the massive hill they were on, screaming the whole way down. Tigress and Fui looked at Sǐhǎi, alarmed.

"So innocent…" Sǐhǎi mumbled to herself, unaware of the tiger and ocelot creeping up behind her.

With a yell, Fui had tackled herself onto Sǐhǎi. The weight unbalanced her, and Tigress finished her off with a push of her foot, sending the young ocelot down with the leopard. With a satisfied smirk, Tigress settled down, but was lifted in the air by Monkey and Mantis, who unceremoniously threw her down the hill. While Tigress rolled down the hill uncontrollably, yelling threats the whole way down, Mantis and Monkey were blown off the top of the hill by Crane's Wings of Justice. The sharp gust of wind knocked Monkey and Mantis in the air and started them rolling as soon as they hit the side of the enormous hill. Before Crane could land in the earth, he was tackled in the air by Mei Ling and Viper, both teaming up on Crane. They tumbled down the hill, occasionally bumping onto something and going airborne before landing and rolling even faster. They picked up speed, and eventually crashed into the heap of panting, wheezing, laughing, pile of bodies at the bottom. They had been mashed into a pile of bodies at the bottom of the hill. They chuckled over the recent events that had happened, and gazed at the different constellations, pointing them out to their friends, until they suddenly fell silent.

Not an awkward silence, but one of comforting stillness. They didn't need to talk, their presence enough for them to find comfort. They lay even closer than when they were at the top, enjoying each other's company and the beautiful night sky. Droplets of water began to fall on them, and the group stood in order to run to their temporary home. The beautiful night was soiled by the rain. The lanterns were put out by the falling rain droplets, so their sense of direction was hindered in the dark. Lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the booming roar of thunder. Fui screamed and leapt on Po, who took it all in stride. He smoothly tucked the ocelot in his arms as they ran towards the tower that had their lodging. The lightning struck again, accompanied by the screams of Fui.

The group had finally been able to reach the entrance of the tower they resided in. They busted through the door, panting and soaking wet from the rain. Each said their goodnights to each other and walked to their separate rooms. Tigress nonchalantly followed Po into his, trying to remain inconspicuous. As everyone else retired to their rooms, Tigress quietly shut the door behind her and walked up into the middle of his room. She looked around, but couldn't find the panda anywhere. Suddenly, Tigress felt two arms wrap around her waist. She felt his lips against her neck, his hot breath tickling her fur, and his fingers deftly tracing marks along her stomach inside her vest.

Tigress bit back a moan, but couldn't help purring loudly. She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes, enjoying the panda's affection. Po continued, and the air around them suddenly grew humid and hot. Po slowly dragged a hand from her belly, down to her waistline past her silk pants. Tigress's eyes grew wide and she gasped as Po's fingers had-

The paper-and-wooden-framed door slid open with a loud slam. Po and Tigress separated from each other quickly as Po dived for a towel. Quickly wiping his fingers from his hand on the towel, he turned to look at the perpetrator. Tigress looked to the ground, looking flushed as her tail had subconsciously gone in between her legs. The intruder had been none other than Fui. She was shaking from head to toe, and quickly ran to Tigress's side and hugged her leg. Tigress looked surprised, and bent down to comfort the tiny ocelot. Po pouted slightly while looking at his fingers, wishing him and Tigress could have continued.

"What's wrong, Fui?"

Fui was about to answer, but was cut short by the loud boom of thunder. As the room temporarily lit in a flash, Fui cried out and buried her face in Tigress's pants. Po approached the young ocelot, and crouched down beside her. He lifted her gently, and carried her to the bed. Po knew she was afraid of the lighting, like she was when they were traveling. He opened his window, and allowed the frigid rain and sharp wind to enter the room. He guided Fui to the window, and showed her the rain crashing upon the tower.

"Do you want to know why it rains?" Po murmured to Fui, gently guiding away her hands that covered her eyes.

"I don't want to! I hate the rain!"

"I don't think the rain would like that very much." Po gently said, looking into the dark sky booming with lighting and thunder.

"Huh?" Fui asked, confused.

"Just hear me out. After, if you still hate the rain, then fine. But listen first, okay?"

Fui agreed reluctantly. Tigress was behind them, and curiously listened in as well.

"The rain is…kind of like tears from people who we really care about that are gone. They're crying 'cause they're so happy for you, Fui. They're happy about how you grew up, or happy that you're still living. They're happy because you're happy. The lighting and thunder is just their way of trying to get your attention, because they miss you so much." Po patted Fui's head as she stared in amazement at the dark, gloomy sky, "So when it's raining, you can't be scared or sad, okay? You gotta be happy, to show them you're happy and that you still remember them."

"Like Mom and Dad?" Fui asked hopefully, tears in her eyes.

"Exactly." Po said firmly.

"I guess…I don't have to be afraid of rain anymore." Fui said as the lighting lit her face, showing confidence and exuberance.

The ocelot was no longer afraid of the savage lights and lit the dark sky. As the rain poured down on the tower, Fui shut the window with an air of finality.

She had conquered the rain, the lighting, and most importantly, her fear.

Fui sighed, and snuggled close to the panda. Both of them were on his bed now, and Tigress joined them. They sandwiched Fui in the middle, and enveloped her in warmth.

"Could I stay here tonight Uncle Po, Auntie Tigress?" Fui asked with puppy eyes.

"Of course." Po said warmly, petting the ocelot lightly.

Po rested his paw on her head for a moment. Fui made an odd face, lifted her snout up, and sniffed Po's fingers. She crinkled her nose, and buried her face into Tigress to rid herself of the smell.

"You smell funny, Uncle Po." murmured Fui, before dozing off.

Tigress looked extremely flushed while Po was shaking with silent laughter, tears of mirth forming in his eyes.

* * *

**"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.**

**"Pooh?" he whispered.**

**"Yes, Piglet?"**

**"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand,**

**"I just wanted to be sure of you."" - A.A. Milne, _Winnie-the-Pooh_**

**Guys, please tell me you know the reason I put quotes after a chapter. Please.**

**__I want to thank everyone that took the time to favorite, review, or follow. Thank you all so much, without your support I wouldn't have gotten so far in this story. You are all special to me; you keep me going. If you guys could, I would love for you guys to spread this story around. I don't want the personal attention, I just want more people to (hopefully) enjoy the story my head randomly keeps going. I really can't thank you all enough! Eleven chapters, wow! Gone by in a flash! I remember the Saturday afternoon, contemplating whether or not I should write a fanfic, just to try it out. Little did I know I would actually get some followers, or even people who enjoyed the story!  
**

**But alas, I hate stories with five-billion(hyperbole) chapters, the performance must end, and the curtains must fall.**

**I want to shoot for 20 chapters, but that won't work. The arc of the ending will begin after this chapter.**

**One hint on how the story will be going from here on out: Nolgry Aithed**

**Not many people will get that, I hope. If you happen to be the one to get it, don't say it out loud, please.**

**FCHW - Faith, Consistency, and Hard Work**

**G1GB - God 1st, God Bless**

**Till Next Time, Audience**


	12. Chapter 12

"Gah…..argh…..stupid tiger….." Shin groaned as he limped towards the city that loomed in the far distance.

The rain had been beating down on him his entire journey in the night, and Shin was getting tired of it. His grievous wounds had been slowing him down tremendously, and Shin wished he hadn't sent that albatross back to his small number of troops he had left. If only the Emperor had actually sent him his actual army in full force. The war with EIGHT different countries had spent up most of his men. It didn't matter to the panther, however. It just meant more for him to kill. And when he will reach the city, he'll grab that infernal tigress by the throat and choke the life out of her.

"Attacking a leading revolutionary city by one's self would be considered suicide."

Shin looked up from the ground to see a beautiful snow leopard sitting on a tree branch up high, staring at him.

"You…you're Stickler's pawn, aren't you?" he asked velvety, attempting to unhinge the vice-general.

She merely nodded in agreement, and leapt down from her refuge. As she leapt down, heaps of assassins seemed to have appeared out of the darkness. Shin looked around, and growled. He drew his sword in an attempt to retaliate. Suì-Fēng merely looked on indifferently, and crossed her arms calmly.

"This stealth force is not for your execution, but for your use. I will accompany you into the rebel city, ten times more men than we have right now, where we will usurp the government, and take it for our own."

"How about…we…burn it into…the ground?" Shin rasped, malice clearly written in his eyes.

"General Zhao will not be pleased, general." Suì-Fēng said calmly.

Shin grabbed Suì-Fēng by the waist, and pulled her towards him. He captured her in his chest and pressed the leopard close to him. He let out a seductive growl, and grinned sadistically at Suì-Fēng, fangs gleaming in the flashes of lighting.

"Who's stopping me, princess?" Shin growled.

Any other woman would have been shaking in fear of the panther so close to her. His strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding the sword that killed so many…

"We will attack in the morning, general. Because of the shared status you attain with General Zhao, I have no jurisdiction to stop you." Suì-Fēng said coldly, looking into the panther's eyes with loath and contempt

He let go of her and sat beneath a massive tree, taking refuge from the rain.

"You're no fun. Do you have any emotions?" Shin drawled, clearly bored enough to start conversation.

"Yes. Every mortal does." Suì-Fēng said quickly, a bored look coming upon her face.

"Bah! Whatever, go to sleep." Shin had lain on his back and quickly fell asleep, snoring.

Suì-Fēng looked at him with indifference, and scaled the tree quickly to return to her tree branch. She leaned her shoulder on the trunk, and stared at the city. She closed her eyes after a moment, and rested her head on the tree as well. She closed her eyes as sleep overcame her; her last thoughts were of the general she served so willingly, General Zhao.

**…..**

"Ah, there they are!" an elderly gorilla said, smiling at the two masters appearance.

Tigress and Po had entered the court with Fui. They walked hand-in-hand, with Fui in the middle. Po flashed his friends his foolish grin, while Tigress allowed herself a small smile. They had lined up in a horizontal line, facing the elderly steward of Xuchang.

"These are my students, the Masters of Xuchang. And I am Grandmaster Hong." Hong said, motioning to the three masters to his side.

The three masters looked at the newcomers with interest. One was a lion, hulking with muscles that were covered in battle scars. On his right was an eagle, who smiled kindly at the group. Besides the avian stood a baboon, who looked tired and cranky.

"I am Wang, leader of the Masters, Master of the Lion style." bragged the lion, eyeing Tigress the entire time.

"Hi, I'm Han! Pleased to be your acquaintance!" the eagle said excitedly.

"Yao. Nice to meet you." sighed the baboon, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

"Now that you all met each other, there is matter of importance to discuss." Hong said, losing all the cheerfulness he had and reverting to his serious face.

"Grandmaster Shifu has left you here in order to travel to Wing Chon to aid them there. His letters had truly helped us organize and prepare for the Emperor, so it was of utmost importance that he be there to aid them."

"The Emperor is at the losing side of the war. There have been great sacrifices along the way: Jade Palace, Lee Da Academy, Gongmen City, Wu Shao City, and Shi Long Palace. Many others right now are being destroyed, but so many still stands. The Emperor has gone in his mind. Yao, explain, please."

The baboon sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose again with a sigh. He shook his head slowly, and took a moment to compose himself.

"The emperor has basically gone insane. He's in war with eight different countries, and everything's going south for him. His own people are being murdered and harassed for metal and slaves are being made to help in the war effort. He enlists anyone who can hold onto a spear in the army, and the people are rebelling as we speak. The eight countries in war with him are winning without the presence of the Imperial Three. Happy?" Yao glared at his master, who beamed in response.

"Yes, Yao, very much so. The Emperor is backed into a corner, and there is nothing he can do at the present moment. Now, all that we have to do is wait in our fortified walls. Dismissed!"

Tigress blinked, and stood there. She hadn't expected that short of a meeting, and expected it to be much more serious. Maybe the Kung Fu Masters really _were_ winning. She stood, deep in thought, until she was approached by the lion that had been eyeing her.

"Hello, Master Tigress. I was wondering if you had the time to go out with me for some lunch." he said cockily, expecting a sure answer.

"Apologies, I'm going out with my _lover_ today." Tigress said, putting emphasis on the word lover carefully.

"That fat panda? You don't need him," Wang said conceitedly "You deserve first-class, honey. Let me show you a good time. No one says no to me."

Wang had slipped an arm around Tigress's waist had pulled her into his chest. Po looked at Wang with narrowed eyes, and marched over to him. Before he could reach him, Tigress grabbed the lion and judo-flipped him onto his back with a loud thud. The other masters looked on humorously, and Yao and Han began to roar with laughter. Wang slowly got up, only to see Tigress and Po wrapping and arm around each other. Tigress looked at Wang with amusement.

"You're right, Master Wang," Tigress smirked "I _do_ deserve first-class."

She kissed the panda in front of him deeply, with Fui behind them covering her eyes. Everyone was about to depart and get on with their day, until a flaming arrow flew through the open window and hit Hong square in the chest. The life in his eyes was gone by the time he hit the floor. Everyone tensed with panic, and got into their defensive stance. The smell of smoke could be scented through the open windows and massive entrance. More arrows flew from the windows, peppering the walls and floors with shafts. Po had grabbed Fui and began running for the side exit of the room with the group right behind them. Yao and Han had been completely covered by arrows, and were dead before Po and the others had hit the door. The look of terror and pleading on their faces, focused on Wang, stuck immortally in their dead eyes.

The buildings were on fire, and the smoke began to make their eyes water. Coughs racked their bodies as they squinted to see through the flames. Wooden beams began to fall, smashing on the ground into shards of flaming wood.

"This way, people!" Wang hollered, running to the hallways on the left.

As he turned, a wooden beam fell on him. The beam smashed him into the floor with a scream. He began to claw the ground to get out underneath, but the flames and weight was too much. Po had grabbed the lion by the hands, and began to pull with all his strength. Everyone else but Po and Tigress had left the lion for dead, forsaking him because of previous actions. Tigress held on to Po, and pulled with him. For a split second, nothing happened and panic took the reins of their minds. But then, with a sickening lurch, the lion was thrown out of the burning rubble. He quickly scrambled to his feet, and wrapped Po in a hug. He held him hard, crying all the while.

"Thank you…thank you so much," Wang said, sobbing as he held Po, "You're a hero…a real hero-"

The lion was cut off by Tigress pushing them towards the exit hastily. They joined the others quickly, and sprinted down the burning hallway, the exit in sight. As they broke through, they were met with an ear-piercing scream. Viper had been caught by the frame of the door that gave way due to the flames. She was smashed underneath the wood. The wood was bright with fire, which hungrily enveloped the wood quickly.

"Oh gods, help me!" cried Viper.

The pain was nothing she ever experienced before. All the times of intense training that almost broke her body, the conditioning that left her leaving pools of sick on the floor, the meditating to enlighten her mind, never prepared her for this. She could feel her skin being utterly destroyed, the heat sending waves of pain. Her nerves were on fire, sending signals of pain down her body.

The smoke she inhaled had started to take effect on her body; she found it hard to scream, or even breathe. She started to close her eyes. She no longer felt burning heat, but icy coldness. What did it matter, if they were going to die anyway? It was better to end it here, body numbed from pain as the darkness began to take her vision; slowly but-

With a scream of terror, Wang had smashed himself into the flaming rubble, using his strength to attempt to push the rubble off the small snake. Ignoring the brutal flames and suffocating heat, he continued to push, screaming in pain all the while. The stench of burning fur and flesh was evident in the air. Po and the others stood in amazement, watching the once arrogant,-no-good, cocky lion become a selfless hero in their eyes. Po had rushed to the lion, attempting to pull him off the blazing rubble, but to no avail. Po realized the lion was repaying them. Wang had dug down deep within himself, and found a strength he thought was impossible to reach.

**…..**

"_Grandmaster Wang, teach me how to be the strongest, ever!" a young Wang asked excitedly_

"_Wang, have I ever told you how to become the most powerful you can possibly be?_

"_No Grandmaster Hong, how do you do it?" a young lion cub asked, with eyes bright with excitement._

"_When you give all your strength for someone, sacrifice everything you have, you will find that strength you never thought you had before."_

"_Oh."_

"_Are you disappointed, young one? "_

"_No, Grandmaster. But…I wished for something else, like a magic potion or something?"_

"_Hahaha…that's quite alright, young one. You'll figure out what I meant when you're older. But there is a way to get stronger right now….More training! Come, Wang!"_

"_Aw, Grandmaster! You promised me the day off!"_

**…..**

With a roar, Wang pushed with everything he had. He ignored his burning skin, his crushed lungs, his tearing eyes, and his smoke-filled throat. The rubble flew off of Viper, as the snake was revived with the sweet cooling air outside. No one cheered however; the sight before them held their happiness. Wang had collapsed to the ground, facing the sky on his back. The entire left side of his body held severe burns, the fur completely scorched off of his body. The lion lost all the handsome features he had before. Each breath he took was that of a gasp, his body trembling with pain. Tigress held Viper in her arms, and looked at the lion with pity. Past the selfish, vain, attitude, he really had the heart of a lion.

"Wang! Let me get you!" Po said desperately.

The lion slowly but surely shook his head, rejecting the panda's offer of help. He knew this was it for him. The smoke will probably kill him later if the burns wouldn't.

"I…can't…go…on…without…me. Get…out…avenge…everyone…please." he croaked, tears spilling from his right eye as his left had starting crying tears of blood.

"Mas…Tigress…I…sorry" he said, attempting a pitiful excuse of a smile.

Tigress nodded with a small smile, and turned away. Po had gotten up, and the rest of the group had turned to go, shooting the lion one last glance of apology. The lion had a peaceful grin on his face, and had his right arm up to give them a thumbs up as they glanced over their shoulders. He stared into the dimming sky, the screams of terror and crackling of the roaring flames no longer heard.

Only silence.

He would join his brothers-at-arms soon, as well as his master. His last thoughts were of Po, surprisingly.

"He's…a…hero…a…true…hero." Wang murmured with a smile, before closing his eyes forever.

**…..**

The group began to run now, as arrows flew above them and chaos was running rampant through the streets. They were running along one of the massive walls, looking for a way down without harming themselves. They couldn't jump off; the fall would kill them. The group had been severely shaken by the lion's appearance. Sǐhǎi had shielded Fui's eyes to spare her the mentally scaring scene, and Viper was unconscious, held by Tigress. The one having the hardest time dealing with it was Mei Ling. She was severely shaken, and was trembling while tears collected in her eyes. Nobody would really classify Mei Ling as the sensitive type, but recent events begged to differ. She was slower than the rest, and was shaking uncontrollably. The rest of the group stopped, sensing something was wrong with the feline.

"Mei Ling are you sure you're okay?" Sǐhǎi asked hesitantly

Mei Ling didn't answer, eyes wide as tears threatened to spill. She suddenly collapsed into the floor in a heap, and began to silently cry.

"I can't take this anymore." she whispered, eyes wide with terror.

"Yes, you can!" Crane had appeared instantly at her side.

"You have me and everyone else here! How would your friends back a Lee Da think to see you like this, wasting the life you had managed to keep while they lost theirs?" Crane said fiercely, looking Mei Ling in the eyes.

"I-I…" Mei Ling stuttered, looking confused.

"You got to keep going, never stop. Right now, you're fishing for a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and that's not alright! I promise if you keep going, this will all end." Crane wrapped his wings around Mei Ling in an embrace.

They stayed like that for a moment, before pulling away.

"You-You're right, Crane." Mei Ling said, wiping a tear from an eye, "I'm being selfish, aren't I?"

"C'mon get up." Crane said gently, easing the feline up.

Mei ling got up, and returned to her normal self. The sun was beginning to set, and even as the city was being attacked by who-knows-what, she couldn't help but to marvel at the beauty the setting sun had to offer. She couldn't keep her eyes off it, and a thought ran through her mind. She turned to face Crane, tears no longer in her eyes as she smiled at her lover. Crane was awestruck by the view he was seeing. Mei Ling had gotten up and was smiling at him. Furthermore, her body was in front of the setting sun, its light shining behind her. The appearance made her look almost goddess-like. Crane smiled, his mind lost in her beauty and his love for her.

"Remember what I told you?" Mei Ling asked, her smile so bright it was contagious, "Despite the tragedies, the future doesn't scare me at all. I have you."

It was right then when Mei Ling was struck by an arrow straight in the heart.

Mei Ling gasped inaudibly, and slid to the ground, her eyes closed. The arrow had pierced her heart, and instantly killed her.

Crane's world had shattered into pieces. Mei Ling was everything to him. His eyes never left the sunset, as tears began to pour out of his eyes. His knees buckled, and hit the floor painfully. Crane hadn't let out a scream, or any emotions.

He was broken completely.

He stayed there, on his knees, his eyes never faltering or moving at all. Hi gaze was stuck on the sunset, the beautiful sunset that had captured his love in a godly light moments before. He finally looked down, as he smiled shakily at his lover. The rest of the group had remained frozen in horror, unable to speak or move.

"C'mon Mei Ling. Get up, I said you'll be okay." Crane chuckled, as his eyes still shed tears uncontrollably.

"Mei Ling…you have to keep going…never stop…sunset…I-I…M-Me-Mei Lin-Ling…Mei Ling please get up!" Crane began to lose his smile, as reality hit him hard, "Mei Ling, you can't go, you were my pair of wings…Mei Ling…I need you…please, Mei Ling!"

"Crane…" Po grabbed the avian's shoulder softly, before getting his hand hit away.

"Don't touch me!" Crane screamed furiously before turning to Mei Ling, "Please, please Mei Ling…PLEASE MEI LING, I LOVE YOU!"

Crane began to wail uncontrollably, before getting knocked out by Tigress. Tigress's eyes shone with grief and sorrow, but she had to be strong for the group, or they would be next.

"There has to be an exit over there, by the little room ahead!"

The group dodged the rain of arrows and made it into a small defensive fortification on the wall. Crane had been carried by Sǐhǎi, while Viper was carried by Po. Fui was carried by Monkey, who had Mantis on his shoulder. Tigress was leading the group, taking out soldiers on the way.

"Imperials…" growled Tigress, before knocking out another soldier.

Tigress found and exit, climbed out with the rest of the group, and ran away into the woods.

**…..**

The stealth units deployed by Shin and Suì-Fēng had done their jobs wonderfully. So wonderfully, that Shin and Suì-Fēng had no need to invade themselves. They toppled the stewardship, and suppressed most of the people in the city. The infamous group of rebels had disappeared again, but the prospect of a major leading city of the rebellion had quenched their desire. Shin had wanted to burn everything to the ground, but Suì-Fēng remained adamant in preserving the city. They walked away from the raided city, looking for the group of rebels that had caused them so much trouble.

* * *

**"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal." - Anonymous**

**Oookkkkaayy people...the beginning of the end starts now! I really wanted to take more time with this story, but I want to end it so bad for some reason. Poor Crane! POOR MEI LING!**

**Okay on a serious note, I should add that this chapter was slightly rushed. For some reason, if I update on a weekday, it gets no reviews, favorites, or follows. But that's neither here, nor there. If it doesn't get any attention, fine. I only hope my small number of followers enjoy this chapter. **

**Here's to you...the followers!**

**Remember to show some love with those reviews, follows, or ****favorites!**

**FCHW - Faith, Consistency, and Hard Work**

**G1GB - God 1st, God Bless**

**Till The End, Audience (Notice how I did that?! XD)**


	13. Chapter 13

"Mei Ling, look at this beautiful night! I remember..." Crane trailed off, talking to the scarf tied around his neck.

"You should have never given him Mei Ling's scarf." shuddered Sǐhǎi, who was obviously disturbed by Crane's behavior.

"I know, but he seemed so heartbroken. And I miss Mei Ling, too." whispered Po, looking anxiously at the deranged bird.

Tigress was busy taking care of Viper. Everyone but Crane was huddled around the unconscious snake, hoping for a speedy recovery. They cleaned her grievous injuries, and bandaged her up perfectly. The Furious Five had been together since Tigress was just a cub, formed together by Shifu and Oogway. They loved each other like family, and the arrival of Po only strengthened that sentiment. Tigress held back tears, as she stroked Viper lovingly. Viper was her sister-in-arms, her only female companion at the Jade Palace. Tigress will be forever grateful for the advice Viper gave Tigress that only a woman could give to another. All the times they stayed up at night talking about meaningless things, their childish arguments, fooling around with each other.

With a sudden jolt, Viper's eyes fluttered open, looking confused. She attempted to slither up, but was so weak she collapsed back into her makeshift bed in the cave.

"Stay down, Viper!" Monkey hissed concernedly, followed by rapid nods from Mantis.

"This is...the end for me, huh?" Viper softly said, looking at Tigress apologetically.

"Don't be stupid, sister." Tigress said, gritting her teeth.

"I want to...be outside. Can I go outside...please?" Viper asked with a tired sigh.

"Of course, Viper." Tigress lifted the slender snake in her arms, and walked out into the moonlight, ignoring Crane's insane ramblings.

The body she held was so fragile, so broken...Tigress was afraid she might accidently break her just from holding her. The snake's body was scarred, and the bandages hid grievous wounds. It was amazing that Viper was even alive right now, let alone talking. Tigress felt hope in her chest spread its wings, but she held it down. Viper was probably not going to make out of this alive.

"The moon is...really beautiful tonight...isn't it sister?" Viper murmured to the tiger, "I'm so sad...but the tears...won't come out."

Tigress sighed with exhaustion, and cradled the snake close to her heart. She sat upon a boulder, looking at the star-filled, black sky. She continued to cradle the dying snake, holding her close to her heart, their heartbeats synchronizing, until Viper's began to slow down.

"I…...always wondered...what it...would be like to...not be...a Kung Fu Master...and instead...just be a happy family..." Viper said slowly, smiling as she closed her eyes.

"Shifu, our strict...foster-father...Crane, our older nerdy brother...Monkey and Mantis...the prankster siblings...Po, our cute little brother...and you, my sister...my dear sister..." Viper murmured, until she spoke no longer.

"Viper..." Tigress muttered, tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she trailed the back of her hand down her beloved sister's body.

Her sister had passed away. Blinking back tears, she slowly stroked her sister's body with her hand comfortingly. She repeated this action until the back of her hand reached Viper's snout. Viper suddenly bit the tiger, causing the tiger to yell from surprise. Tigress dropped the snake and shot her a dirty glare, before inspecting her paw. There were no wounds, just damp fur. Viper let out a weak laugh, and smiled at Tigress sweetly.

"Remember the first time we met...I pranked you...by biting you and telling...you I was poisonous...but I...don't have any fangs..." Viper chuckled softly.

"Haha, very funny." Tigress grumbled, folding her arms and pouting at the snake.

"That...was the same...look you gave me...all those years back..." Viper said, smiling at the tiger with her eyes closed.

Viper's soft chuckles fell slowly silent as they both stared at the night constellations. Tigress sighed, but her ears perked when she heard movement. She turned with a smirk, ready to catch the snake this time before she pulled any funny business on her. But when she turned, she saw Viper, still lying there with a smile graced on her lips. So her beloved sister had passed this time after all. With a sigh, Tigress picked her up and carried her to the ground, next to the boulder they were seated on. She wished that Viper would come back to her. She would take any prank as long as her sister would come back to her.

Biting her lower lip, she let loose a few hot, salty tears into the earth. She unsheathed her claws, and began to dig. It would be a long time before the hole would get large enough for a respectable grave for Viper. As she dug, she sensed another presence behind her. Two massive black arms appeared next to her's, helping her dig with some missing claws, and bandages around its' paws.

"Po..." Tigress murmured.

"We're here for you, Ti." Po gently said.

Two pairs of paws were joined by four more. Monkey, Mantis, Sǐhǎi, and Fui had joined Tigress in her solemn grave digging. She let out a small smile, and finished digging after a long moment of silence with her family. When they had made a respectable hole in the earth, they gently laid Viper into it, and covered it with the earth. Carefully making sure it was perfect, each said their goodbyes. The only exception was Crane, who was mentally broken down, still chatting to himself and pretending Mei Ling was by his side

**...**

"What should we do about Crane?" Tigress asked with concern etched on her face.

Her eyes were still red with tears, as were most of the group's as well.

"Let him deal with it the way he can. I'm not going to leave him." Monkey replied softly, staring at the insane avian who was laughing with an imaginary partner.

The group began to walk again, leaving the cave and Viper's unmarked grave. Crane followed, bumbling about, talking to the air.

Crane padded along, singing a melody quite disturbingly, as the rest of the group walked with uneasy silence. He was deranged, and on the brink of insanity. Although Mei Ling's passing had been difficulty for all of them, it hit especially hard on Crane. The avian had loved her with all his heart.

Sometimes as they walked, Crane would stop and frown. He would remember that Mei Ling was gone, and would cry uncontrollably. He would scream her name and moan pitifully. But then something in the air would catch his eyes, and he would giggle happily again and reach out into the air, calling Mei Ling's name sweetly.

"Uncle Crane is scaring me, Uncle Po." Fui cried softly, distressed.

"Shhhh...I know, I know." Po whispered, carrying Fui in his arms.

Fui wrapped her arms around Po's neck and flung herself on his back. Po looked disgruntled for a moment, but decided to let Fui stay in her spot. She buried her face into the back of his, and breathed in deeply. Fui loved Po, and his presence comforted her. The thin trail ahead of them was surrounded in both sides by massive trees, thick bushes, and all kinds of wildlife. Mantis soaked in the scenery in the moonlight, and decided that Viper deserved to be buried in such a beautiful place. The moonlight shone the wildlife in a new, different light. Ahead of them was the base of a mountain, with a tunnel; probably carved out by people for travelers to go through.

The tunnel was massive, and looked to be probably about 2 miles long. The mountain was massive, and the tunnel had to reach all the way to both sides. As they approached the gaping tunnel, Tigress felt the tiniest prickling sensation. Tigress halted, and looked back. Something wasn't right. Her entire being told her not to take a step further, to run the opposite way.

"Everybody, stop." Tigress whispered.

The group stopped walking and stared at the feline quizzically. Tigress closed her eyes, and breathed out slowly, concentrating as hard as she could. She could sense the tiniest presence by the tree on their right. Tigress's eyes shot open and was about to roar a warning.

A body shot out of the thick bushes and leapt at her. Tigress barely dodged the edge of the blade, and sent a kick at the figure, forcing it back. As soon as she dealt with it, another figure smashed straight into her. The blade that was thrust at her barely grazed her arms as she struck at the other figure wit the back of her arm. It leapt away, next to its comrade.

The moonlight shone through the darkness and revealed their identities. It was the panther, Shin, and an ocelot Tigress couldn't identify. Tigress's eyes met with Shin's, and she felt her paws tremble. Tigress looked down at her paws confused, as the rest of the group stood beside her in their defensive stances.

_Did he poison his blade? _Tigress thought, staring wide-eyed at her quivering paws.

"Ah...You probably think I poisoned my blade, didn't you sweet -cheeks?" Shin sneered, licking the blood off his blade.

"Where's your arm?" Tigress spat back, holding back tears for her probably-dead father.

"Didn't need it, so I got rid of it. Back to the subject," Shin grinned, eyes piercing through Tigress, "It's not poison. It's something much older, something you probably wouldn't understand."

"All your life, you trained to fight. Being a Master, you probably been through a lot of battles…maybe even got seriously hurt once. Battles are almost normal, every-day life for you. But if there's one thing Masters are taught, it's to not show emotion, right?" Shin asked, resting his blade on his shoulder before continuing.

"But that's exactly it. The thing that holds back even the most ferocious Kung Fu Masters...the thing that's in every mortal, no matter how powerful they are. You haven't felt its effects since you were little, right? You want to know what it is?" Shin probed, cocking his head sideways, grinning at the feline murderously.

Shin slammed his sword down into the ground, and pointed at Tigress's shaking paws.

"It's fear."

Every word Shin said was true. She hadn't felt fear for so long; she had no defense against it. Her eyes grew larger as she gazed at her quaking paws. Her knees began to buckle and her feline body began to radiate the scent of fear.

Shin drew in a long breath, before chuckling sadistically.

"That's right, feel it. Wallow in it. You're scared aren't you? If you just surrender to me right now, I promise to spare you." Shin crooned, holding his one hand out to Tigress.

Surprisingly, Tigress found herself taking a step. Then another. Her eyes shut, leaking out a tear against her cheek. Why was she walking towards this murderer, the man who had killed her father? Was it her instinct, to fight for life, to fight to live another day? Tigress felt disgusted with herself, her cowardice, her instincts.

She wanted to live.

She wanted life, to live, even if it was for one more day. She wanted it so bad, it hurt. She took another step, her mind screaming not to, yet her body continually disobeyed. Tigress's face screwed up, as some more hot, wet tears slid off her face into the earth. Shin held his sinister gaze, as he beckoned to Tigress to come to his side. Tigress's foot left the ground to take another step, yet a familiar voice stopped her.

"Yeah, Tigress! Another sneaky plot to get close to the enemy!" Po chuckled darkly, looking slyly left and right before addressing Fui on his back, "Should I go, too?"

Fui giggled mischievously as Po comically tiptoed towards Shin, humming a spy melody. Fui halted Po from the back of his neck and shoulders, and chastised him angrily.

"Po, you said it out loud! Now they know our plan!" Fui hissed, smacking Po on the head.

"Oh no! Our beautiful plan is ruined!" Po wailed, and swan-dived to Tigress's feet and began to beat the earth with his paws and feet with his face in the ground, crying.

Shin looked at them oddly, before sighing and pinching the bridge of his snout, shaking his head. Suì-Fēng's eye twitched, her body revealing nothing more. Monkey and Mantis stared at the pair with wide eyes and open mouths. Sǐhǎi snickered quietly in the background.

Tigress's advances had halted, and she stared at Po and Fui. Tigress found herself no longer afraid of death, and took a step backwards to prove it. She smiled warmly at them with gratitude, her flow of tears no longer rolling. She helped Po to his feet and glanced back at Shin, who was still a respectable distance away from her. If Po and Fui hadn't stopped her, would she have made it all the way there?

Their little comedy routine was badly acted and looked extremely scripted. It was obvious in what they were trying to do. One of Po's little mantras: Fight the Grim with the Funny.

His playfulness and obscenity from the overall dead seriousness had caught everyone's attention. Comically tiptoeing towards Shin, Po had accomplished in subconsciously alerting Tigress how foolish that was. Him swan-diving had probably symbolized his death upon reaching Shin. He strategically fell in front of Tigress to stop her steps towards the homicidal panther. Tigress eyes widened as she realized this; she hadn't expected Po to be so clever.

"You're overthinking it, Ti. I was only joking around." Po chuckled as he got up.

Tigress snapped her head to his direction, alarmed.

"It's your face," Po deadpanned, before adding a grin, "I can't read your mind, but I can read your face."

Tigress chuckled at the reference to their early dawn escapade in the kitchen at the Jade Palace; before all this had happened.

**…..**

"_You come around like a bad habit." Tigress allowed herself a small smile, handing Po a cup of tea. "What's on your mind?" _

_As usual, Tigress had been able to see straight through Po's lies. _

_Is it her kung fu tiger-ey senses, thought Po Or am I just the worst liar ever?_

"_It's your face", Tigress deadpanned before taking a seat next to Po._

_Po's eyes grew wide before subconsciously bringing his hands up to his face. Tigress chuckled softly and took a sip of her tea. _

"_I don't read minds, Po. I, however, can read your face quite easily."_

**…..**

Tigress crossed her arms and smirked at the panda. Po returned her gaze with a sheepish grin and began to scratch his face. Suì-Fēng stepped forward, face impassive.

"I tire of these charades." Suì-Fēng stated calmly, brandishing the blade attached to her forearm.

In a flash, she seemingly materialized between Tigress and Po. She struck out at Po, who had barely dodged her attack. Suì-Fēng leapt away before Tigress's well-aimed kick could connect with her head. Suì-Fēng was met by Tigress's leap as soon as she landed from her own. They were a blur, each striking with vicious ferocity and frightening accuracy. Suì-Fēng's blade glinted in the moonlight dangerously as she aggressively stabbed and slashed at Tigress. Tigress had her large, vicious claws unsheathed, aimed at the snow leopard's throat. Both were aiming to kill. As they fought at their lightning pace, each feline growled and hissed with intensity.

Po watched with amazement, their movements hard to keep up with. As he stared, he felt a hefty paw on his shoulder.

"Where's your mind going, I wonder?"

Po was spun around aggressively before a crushing blow to his face sent Po flying into the ground. Po got up off his back, rubbing his jaw gingerly. Shin picked up his sword he had dropped moments ago and stalked up to Po slowly, his injuries slowing his walk. His progress had been halted when he was brutally blind-sided a charging Sǐhǎi and Monkey. Mantis had gone to help Tigress with Suì-Fēng.

Shin was sent tumbling across the earth, and as soon as he got up, he was greeted rudely by Sǐhǎi's flying kick. He was once again sent flying into the ground, but quickly recovered and smashed the hilt of his sword into Sǐhǎi's skull before she could continue her abuse. Shin was surprised he hadn't stabbed himself when he was rolling around with that sword in his hand. The feline was slammed into the earth, and got up slowly, her world spinning. Sǐhǎi was on her feet swaying dizzily, her thoughts derailed as her vision blurred and brightened occasionally.

Monkey was fighting desperately from preventing Shin to get close to Sǐhǎi. She was in no condition to fight. There was no leakage of blood, which was what worried Monkey the most. Internal bleeding would be impossible to stop, and Sǐhǎi would be dead in minutes. She had a dazed look in her eyes, and she swayed as if she was intoxicated. Monkey held his own, surprisingly, against Shin; their last encounter involving all of them being almost defeated by him alone.

As Monkey dodged his sword and retaliated with his own punches and kicks, he noticed something wrong with Shin. He was already sweating profusely and was wincing with pain. His sleek, powerful body and elite physicality was failing him. After a recent brutal kick to Shin's abdomen, he figured it out. Monkey had made a small crack in Shin's abdominal armor, and in it, held his body together. Monkey separated from close combat and eyes the panther while he bent over, gasping for air with his eyes screwed shut in pain.

"What happened to your stomach, devil?" Monkey asked "The crack I made is leaking out your insides. Face it, you lost. Back down."

Shin looked up from his gasping and wheezing to stare at Monkey in the face.

"You can't kill me? You're so naïve, I wish I wasn't banged up; I would teach you a thing or two about begging for mercy." Shin growled.

Monkey narrowed his eyes before slowly padding up to the panther. Before he could get a hand on him, Po appeared out of nowhere, sledgehammering Shin in the back of his head with his paws.

"You should know never to hit a girl." Po said, as Sǐhǎi purred in satisfaction, drawing out her blade.

"No killing." Monkey simply said, grabbing her wrist holding the blade.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Sǐhǎi pouted cutely, teasing the Kung Fu Master.

Shin had been knocked out, lying on the floor. The two turned their attention to Tigress and Mantis, who were holding their own against Suì-Fēng, the three of them moving like a blur.

"You okay?" Monkey sidled up to the slightly dazed feline who was holding her head.

"I...I'm okay." Sǐhǎi managed to mutter.

It took all of her concentration just to say a few words to Monkey. She would still see spots of light, and found it hard to concentrate on…anything. Monkey carefully forced her to kneel and examined her eyes and head where she had been hit.

"I've been studying medicine with Mantis for a while." Monkey said softly, "It looks like you avoided any serious injury to the head, but you have a concussion."

Sǐhǎi growled in frustration, and plopped herself on the ground.

"Go help Tigress. You don't have to look after me." Sǐhǎi directed to Monkey and Po, waving them away.

"Got it!"

"Right."

Monkey and Po stepped in the battle, forcing Suì-Fēng to backtrack as four Kung Fu Masters focused in on her. She snarled ferociously, swiping with her blade attached to her forearm, and using her other hand with claws to assist. With Tigress's ferocity, Mantis's speed, Monkey's litheness, and Po's supreme size, Suì-Fēng found it hard to defend herself against four masters. She leapt up a massive tree, and let out a feral cry that was unbefitting of her. Eyes in the darkness appeared; staring at the group with intensity, as black-clothed figures slowly stepped out. The odds that have been so conveniently in the Kung Fu Masters' favor had been callously flipped on them. The group formed a defensive stance back to back, stepping as one slowly to the entrance of the cavern.

The shadowy figures at the top of the tress began to notch arrows into their bows, and waited for their vice-general's orders. Shin slowly got up, growling as he had awoken suddenly from his pain-induced slumber. Suì-Fēng glared at the group one last time, before snapping her head to a presence behind her. She leapt down the tree and knelt low before the lumbering figure.

The figure was massive, huge. Following the figure, was countless of soldiers with spears and heavy armor. Po and the group had been surrounded; the only way out was behind them, through the sinister cavern that seemed to stretch for days.

"General." Suì-Fēng muttered with reverence.

The figure merely nodded before stepping into the moonlight. He was a massive bear, with thick armor and a massive spear at his waist. He had an air of royalty around him, his back stiff and his posture never slacking. His eyes were piercing with intelligence, and held no emotions.

"I see we have found the remaining members of the infamous group I have been hearing of." General Zhao said softly, staring at Po.

The massive bear-general lacked any malice or mockery in his words. He looked tired, and worn down. Although his regal air remained around him, one could clearly see his exhaustion.

"I have found your dead comrade's grave two miles away. I hope you do not mind that I have paid my respects." General Zhao said calmly, looking at Tigress's hurt eyes.

Tigress had almost forgotten about the pain of losing Viper in the heat of battle, and her mention had hurt her greatly. She looked down, attempting to chorale the tears that threatened to flow.

"I have also found the Master of Lee Da; we have buried her outside of Xuchang. You have my condolences."

Crane was still prancing about around the mouth of the cavern until her heard Zhao mention her. Suddenly, he had what alcoholics would refer to as "a moment of clarity". Crane stood, high and in control. His eyes began to water, and he croaked Mei Ling's name softly. He groaned and grit his beak, screwed his eyes closed, and shuddered profusely. General Zhao took notice and frowned softly.

"Was she special to you, Master avian?" He asked delicately, meaning no harm.

"She was the world to me."

"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." Zhao said quietly, before continuing, "Letting go is difficult, but holding on can be just as challenging. Strength is measured not by holding on, but by letting go."

Crane looked upon the bear with silent wonder, before a familiar steely look in his eyes returned. Mantis looked with tears of happiness in his eyes; his brother was back. Po saw the old look return in his eyes, and grinned with new-found confidence. Zhao looked on with a soft smile, followed by a questioning look from Suì-Fēng.

"You're right, General. When holding on is too tough, you got too…" Crane spread his wings out and delivered the most powerful Wings of Justice he had ever accomplished, "LET GO!"

The arrows that flew were blown back to their owners from the violent winds that cut through their ranks. Many soldiers, namely the ninjas, were blown back into the tough trees before reaching unconsciousness. Suì-Fēng's composure was thrown off from the powerful winds, yet Zhao hadn't even flinched. He remained unmoved, as Shin was as well. With a growl Shin ordered Zhao's men to pursuit, leaving the still general smiling.  
As Po and the others were being chased by an enraged serial killer panther, hundreds of heavily armed men, and flying arrows narrowly missing them, Po couldn't help but to grin ear from ear. Fui was on his back, cheering on the panda as Tigress looked at Po from beside him, smiling all the while. Mantis and Monkey chortled as they sprinted with the rest of the group. Sǐhǎi merely smiled mysteriously, thinking off how delighted Mei Ling would be. Crane soared closely above them, a confident smile on his face.

"How does it feel to be back, buddy?" Po shouted up at the flying avian.

Crane merely laughed as he shot ahead of them and looked back with a bright smile.

"Have you found your new set of wings, Crane?" Sǐhǎi purred mischievously.

Mei Ling had told Sǐhǎi all about their little romantic moment in the skies.

**…..**

_They were above the clouds, and everything was peacefully silent. The sun, it was so close….Mei Ling understood now, she was in a separate world. The skies had their own space, where movement was free, and the earth had no domain. Mei Ling started laughing, enjoying the skies. They whipped around, flying through clouds and spinning in the air. They slowed down to view the scenery. _

"_Gods, Crane. Everything's so beautiful….so this is what you can get if you have wings. I wish I had wings that could take my problems away."_

_Crane smiled, and lifted them even higher._

"_Wings aren't something you wish for, or even something you receive. Everyone's born with their own set of wings; you just got to find them." _

"_Well…..I guess then….you're my wings then, Crane." Mei Ling said, looking up at the avian shyly._

"_You're mine, too." Crane said gently._

_With a carefree laugh, they soared through the skies, cut through clouds, and danced in the air with the sunlight gleaming. They laughed together, soaring through the air; one with wings, the other with her wings in her heart. Yet both united soaring in the skies under the same sun._

**…..**

"Nope!" Crane yelled happily, "I just found them again!"

* * *

**"When you've found a reason to walk away, never look back...Just keep walking. It's better to get lost moving on than to get stuck and stranded, broken." - Anonymous **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I pray that you guys will watch the events unfold till the ending with me! It's been awesome writing for you guys so far, I don't intend to draw the line here! Although this story is nearing an end, you can expect about 4 - 6 more chapters? That is, if I don't draw the curtains early. My story may not have more than 100+ reviews like the other popular stories from here or other books, movies, or anime, but to me, this small group of followers is worth thousands of them! I want to thank you all for everything, and I plan to return the favors at the ending! I just hope that I haven't rushed this chapter like I have with the previous one. I was a little hurt at the lack of new followers and reviews, so I tried to upload at the weekend to try and get my story on the top of the most recent updated ones. I realized that that was beyond stupid; I should be thankful with what I've got now! I'm sorry I took you guys for granted, and I will no longer rush just to get more reviews or follows, or favorites! I'll try my best to update as fast as I can and keep up the quality!**

**Remember folks: FCHW - Faith. Consistency, and Hard Work**

** G1GB - God 1st, God Bless**

**Till The End, Audience**


	14. Chapter 14

"I don't think I can take much more, guys!" wheezed Po.

"Po, you have to keep going!" Tigress growled, carrying Fui.

They had been running for about a solid two hours so far. The cavern stretched for what seemed like forever. Even the conditioned Masters were beginning to feel the fatigue that was ravaging Po. Although the massive group of men was far away, they couldn't afford to slow down. The tunnels were massive, and unfortunately provided enough room around them to be targets of long distance attacks. Spears were thrown at them, and arrows were narrowly avoided. At this point, Po's breathing was harsh and forced, as he slowed down tremendously. With a snarl, Tigress threw Fui at Sǐhǎi, and callously grabbed Po and put him on her back.

Most ordinary animals wouldn't be able to hold Po on their backs, but Tigress was anything but ordinary. Conditioned to the peak of perfection, she could easily carry four times her bodyweight. Tigress gritted her teeth and began to sprint ahead of the group, hoping to put some considerable distance between them and the army of men behind her before she had to put Po down from exhaustion. If what she determined from the cavern walls were accurate, it would be some time before they even near the exit to the tunnel.

Tigress growled complaints under her breath as Po looked sheepishly at the ground, exhausted. Fui started to cry, but held in her cries and tears for the sake of the group. Sǐhǎi was panting, but not nearly as tired as Po. Mantis and Monkey sped along side by side, occasionally throwing worried glances behind them as they brought up the rear. Crane was ahead with Tigress, continuously distracting the enemy with shots of his Wings of Justice.

"Things were going so great…what happened?" groaned Mantis.

"I hate you all." hissed Tigress, frustrated with carrying the massive bulk that was Po.

"Sheesh, sorry Tigress…you can put me down if you're tired."

"Maybe Tigress could _ride_ Po instead…" added Sǐhǎi mischievously, earning a flushed look from Tigress.

"Enough fooling around, we have an army to out run." snorted Monkey from the rear.

The group fell to silence once again as they ran silently, screams and yells of outrage from the army resonating throughout the cavern walls. They threw spears in vain, and arrows hardly even got near the group anymore. The army was getting tired, their armor holding them down, and their comrades getting in each other's way. The constant running and chasing continued for about another hour.

One particular soldier notched an arrow in his bow while running, intending to hit one of them. He was tired, and didn't know what he was thinking; hitting a _moving_ target while_ running_? With a frustrated growl, the soldier recklessly shot his arrow into the group running far ahead of him. What happened next, even the gods didn't foresee.

Fui was on Sǐhǎi's back while they were running, and she was relatively quiet as they ran. She understood the group was in a stressful situation right now, but she couldn't let her boredom get ahead of her. She kept her mouth shut and her eyes glued open for any abnormalities ahead. Concentrated on her self-appointed task, she couldn't hear the arrow hissing through the air. She remained oblivious until she felt it lodge itself in her back.

The chance of that arrow hitting a small target like Fui was one-in-a-million.

Fui screamed with pain and terror as she felt the unbearable pain in her shoulder. The arrow had entered from above her, so the arrow lodged in the top of her shoulder. The arrow had been shot in a high arc, fortunately, instead of a killing straight shot. The arrowhead wasn't too deep, but could still be fatal. The force of the impact of the arrow knocked Fui off Sǐhǎi's back into the earth. The group skidded to a halt before running the other way. The army had been gaining on them, and now Fui was caught in the middle of the two sides.

"Oh gods, kiddo!" Sǐhǎi screamed, sprinting on all fours to rescue Fui.

"NO!" Tigress roared, charging at the army, enraged.

The rest of the group charged into the mass of soldiers to protect the fatally injured child.

Po was fighting his way into the masses, sending random, wild, punches and kicks into anything her could land a hit on. He could see glimpses of Fui, in pain and scared. He fought harder, ignoring the assortment of blows and cuts around his body. He began to bleed from every orifice now, growling wildly as he fought towards Fui. Tigress was buried under a mass of men, keeping dangerously still till she burst out, knocking several men flying. Monkey and Mantis fought as a pair, complimenting each other's fighting styles to bring down masses of soldiers. They felt as if they had been fighting for hours, and many soldiers lay unconscious at their feet. They kicked, scratched, punched, and clawed their way through the soldiers to get to Fui. But every time one soldier would go down, another would take his place just as fast.

Though the group had been successfully taking down crowds of soldiers, they were fighting a lost battle. There were too many numbers against them; they would eventually get run over. Po had finally reached Fui, and embraced Fui. Their harsh breath mixing together, as their blood began to get in each other's fur. Fui whimpered as Po whispered comfort and stroked her head lovingly. Tigress reached the pair, fighting off any soldiers getting near them as she growled and snarled with defiance.

"We need to go NOW!" Tigress growled, sending another soldier flying.

"Towards me!" yowled Tigress, fighting near the middle of the passage with Po and Fui.

Monkey and Sǐhǎi reached the pair, followed by Crane and Mantis.

"There're too many soldiers around!" Monkey said grimly.

Monkey picked up a spear and snapped of the head, leaving only a long staff. He expertly twirled in around with precision accuracy and began to take out soldiers faster than Crane and Mantis combined. Monkey had always preferred using a Bo staff against enemies, and now he had a chance to. The group fought their way past the soldiers and began to run again, attempting to flee the lost cause.

Monkey and Mantis stayed behind, preventing any of the soldiers from pursuing the group.

"Monkey! Mantis! What are you doing?!" Tigress hissed as she skidded to a stop, glaring at the pair.

"Go. We'll hold them off. Get to a village and get Fui treated." Mantis said calmly, getting in his defensive stance, glaring a dare at the soldiers to advance.

"You can't hold this many guys off!" Po argued, stepping besides Tigress.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up and we'll get together soon!" Monkey said, looking back with a smile.

Po looked at the pair, horrified. He knew Monkey was lying; everyone knew they were lying. Mantis and Monkey were never planning on leaving this cavern. But Po knew how much getting away meant to Mantis and Monkey, so he stayed silent.

"When we get back, Po, you owe me a hundred almond cookies for this!" Monkey said with a carefree smile, looking at the panda kindly.

"Everyone's banged up, so I guess I got to help out with my needles when Monkey and I get back…can't trust regular doctors these days…" grumbled Mantis.

"It's obvious that if you guys stay, you'll be mincemeat, so—"Sǐhǎi growled before getting interrupted.

"Please!" Monkey roared, before putting a false smile and adding softly, "…We know."

Mantis hopped around impatiently before speaking.

"Hurry up! You guys are a bothersome bunch, so get lost!" Mantis explained impatiently, tapping his little foot rapidly against the ground with his forearms crossed.

Tigress remained impassive with a small glare, before grabbing her fist with an open palm and bowing deep to the two Masters. She turned and grabbed Po by the ear and forced him to run towards the exit. Sǐhǎi shook her head slowly before running after Po and Tigress. Crane looked at the two with regret, and then wondered why the army hadn't attacked while they were conversing. Crane realized something.

"They respect you guys, you know?" Crane said softly with a smile.

"We figured. Take care of them, okay?" Mantis said, looking at the army that formed before them.

Crane bowed low and shot off towards the direction of where the rest of the group went.

Monkey and Mantis knew that there were no hard feelings between them and the regular soldiers. They had shown their respect by allowing the rest of them to escape and letting them say goodbyes in their own ways. They understood that it was the Emperor that was the source of the evil and chaos ravaging the beautiful lands of China.

They stared at the mass of men, sizing them up. Then they stared at each other, face impassive. Mantis and Monkey suddenly broke out into laughter, much to the crowd of soldiers' confusion. Their laughter had died down, and they shared a grin. The two clowns of the Jade Palace shared one last laugh together, as their memories of laughter and pranks swam through their heads. Mantis looked at Monkey with a strange look as Monkey stared back, realizing what he wanted.

"To the death, Master Monkey?" Mantis said seriously.

"To the death, Master Mantis…" Monkey nodded grimly.

They looked at each other, and broke out into one last grin together. With a carefree howl, they charged the astonished soldiers who weren't expecting them to charge an _army_. The charged recklessly ahead, before adding one last piece of dialogue together.

"But not ours!"

**…..**

"Where're we headed, Tigress?" Crane asked tiredly, flapping his wings sluggishly.

"The Valley."

"What? We're that close to the Valley of Peace?" Sǐhǎi asked incredulously.

Tigress nodded grimly, still trekking along the dirt path. That was the reason why she led them to the cavern; it was the only way to the Valley besides the Thread of Hope.

"We should get there by nightfall." Tigress added dully.

Po still held Fui close to his chest, as he looked sullenly at the ground as he trudged along the path, bringing up the rear. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as he recounted what had happened. Tigress looked back at Po, and her eye twitched in a very Shifu-like way in annoyance. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided to stay silent at the last moment, turning abruptly and muttering under her breath. Crane and Sǐhǎi sighed and shared a look together, before following Tigress again. They walked until the sun had sunk beneath the earth and was replaced with the moon.

When they reached the gates of the Valley of Peace, they were greeted by the Anvil of Heaven.

"Where in the blazes were you!" Vachir asked, teeth gritted, "We thought we'd see you guys, then we got a rude welcome by Imperials."

"You could've sent a messenger, a letter, something!" the rhino blabbered on, unaware of a dangerous looking Tigress slowly stalking up to the ignorant rhinoceros.

The rest of the group Commander Vachir brought with him slowly eased back, wary of the tigress's advances.

"We lost some provisions, men, and—"

"Shut up." Tigress said dangerously.

"You have a job to do: Protect the Valley. I suggest getting to it, before I show you how I got my paws dirty." Tigress snarled, holding up a paw caked with dried blood.

"Ye—yes, Master Tigress." Vachir squeaked, signaling his men to go back to protecting the city.

"We are going to rest. Do not disturb us. We will contribute in the following morning." Tigress walked away from the trembling rhinoceros before turning around again, "Get a doctor for the ocelot."

Vachir nodded and grabbed Fui from Po, and sprinted for the nearest doctor in the Valley. Tigress walked towards Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu; the shop owned by Mr. Ping. She waited for no one as Po, Crane, and Sǐhǎi ran to catch up. When they walked inside the area where the tables and chairs were set up, it had been clear that no one had attempted to refurbish or take over the restaurant. The area was dusty, and appeared almost sinister as Crane lighted candles inside the building. Crane and Sǐhǎi offered to sleep downstairs in the abandoned kitchen as Tigress dragged Po upstairs to his room without another word to anyone else.

**…..**

Po sighed as he sat on his bed, and looked down tearfully.

"Will you _stop_ that?" Tigress asked angrily.

"Stop what?" Po asked as his head shot up, surprised to hear Tigress's voice.

"Stop the sighing and moaning. It not going to bring anyone back, Po!" Tigress snarled, "Crying about everything won't make any of this better!"

"I'm not allowed to feel for my friends!?" Po growled, standing up and getting face to face with Tigress.

"Yes, you are! But you're crying and moping around like you're a little cub! Toughen up, and maybe you'd be able to save them!" Tigress whispered menacingly, face defiantly close to Po's.

That was the last straw. What happened next, a normal Po would never condone. Po had committed the lowest form of abuse a man could bestow: Po hit a woman. Tigress, to be exact. He slapped her face hard, as the sharp impact of his hand across her face made a loud noise as her head was tossed sideways on impact. Lips trembling, Tigress turned her head back towards Po's slowly; her shocked and hurt expression gradually transforming into an intimidating snarl.

Tigress smashed her fist into Po's face, sending him across the room back into his bed. Po landed with a loud exhale of air, before getting immediately pounced on by Tigress. She began to continuously pound on his face, neck, and shoulders as she straddled him. She paused her beating, and wrapped her paws around Po's neck, choking him. She smashed her lips into his, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth. After a few moments, she separated her lips and paws from him, and stared at the hateful look she had received from the panda. She swooped her head back in for another searing kiss, as she unsheathe her claws and began to painfully drag her claws across Po's arms and shoulders. Tigress bit Po's lips as hard as she could, and felt satisfaction in Po's jolt and the taste of blood slowly trickling in her mouth.

Po grabbed her face painfully and pushed her lips away from his. He breathed harshly as he stared at Tigress licking his blood from her lips and glaring at him. Po delivered a powerful punch to Tigress's abdomen, and attacked her neck with his lips as she bent over, gasping for air. He sent hot, wet kisses down her neck, leaving bruises and marks as she purred and arched her back. Po groaned in pain when Tigress retaliated by chomping down on his neck as he pleasured her's. She growled as she refused to let go, clamping down even harder as Po silently screamed in pain. She got up and slapped Po in the face, not once, but several times as she grinded herself against Po harshly. Po grabbed Tigress and flipped himself so he was now on top of the feline. Po held down her arms as he glared at Tigress beneath him.

"I want to hurt you so bad sometimes…" Po snarled harshly at the beautiful feline beneath him, "Hurt you till you beg me to stop."

Tigress stared back at him defiantly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a rebellious light. Her lips revealed an early sign of bruising, probably from the hard impact of their lips. Her slapped cheek was swelling slightly, as her neck was riddled with bruises that were easily seen through her fur. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at Po with an equal amount of love, lust, and hate.

"Then hurt me…" Tigress whispered.

Crane and Sǐhǎi covered their ears as Tigress moans and screams of pain and lust were echoed through the house, synchronized with Po's groans and hisses of pleasure. But no matter how much they covered their ears, the floor above them creaked and groaned as it betrayed a pulse of hard, fast, rapid movement.

**…..**

After Po and Tigress fulfilled their carnal desires, Po gotten up and went to his washroom without a word to his lover. His back, arms, and shoulders were riddled with claw marks, cheek swollen, lips puffy and bleeding with teeth marks, neck spotted with bruises and teeth marks, and a haphazard black eye. As he washed up, Tigress slowly got up to shakily join Po, bathing in the moonlight. Neither said a word to each other, and when they went to bed, they fell asleep immediately, neither wishing the other a good night's sleep.

**…..**

"Is it over?" Crane whispered in the darkness, addressing Sǐhǎi from downstairs, in the kitchen.

"I think so…" mused Sǐhǎi before continuing, "That must have been one crazy, wild, freaky—"

"Enough please." Crane squeaked, obviously uncomfortable with the current subject of conversation.

"The floor shook, it was like, wow!" Sǐhǎi continuously whispered, "I bet Tigress won't be able to walk in the morning."

Crane covered his ears as he went to sleep, ignoring Sǐhǎi's rants as he prayed that sleep would take him quickly.

**…..**

Crane and Sǐhǎi were joined by a sullen Po at the kitchen table. He plopped himself down, and helped himself to the food Sǐhǎi had prepared. Crane and Sǐhǎi shared a look, but stayed quiet, sensing Po's attitude. After a while, they were joined by Tigress. She gingerly shuffled towards the table, and looked hesitantly at the chair besides Po. Slowly she lowered herself down and hissed with pain all the while. When Tigress had finally taken a seat, Crane and Sǐhǎi assessed last night's damage. They were both riddled with bruises and Po was covered with cuts all around him. Most noticeably, his back. They ate in silence as the awkward stillness was suffocating.

Sǐhǎi looked at the pair before sighing. It was obvious they had fought. Whether it was before or after their…late night activity, she was unsure.

"So…get a good night's sleep?" Crane asked awkwardly in a desperate attempt at striking conversation.

Po and Tigress both looked up with dull expressions in their faces.

"Fine." they deadpanned, before continuing with their breakfast.

Sihai sighed again.

_This is going to be a long day…_

* * *

**"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act." - Mahatma Ghandi**

**Hello my beautiful readers! I finally updated after (not really) so long! The story is ending soon, very soon. I still can't say how much everyone's reviews, follows, and favorites mean to me. That's what keeps me going with this story, to be frank. So don't be afraid to share it with friends, and don't be afraid to show me some love with a review, follow, or favorite! Y'all know I love each and every one of you! For those of you upset that I'm killing off the main characters, I apologize sincerely. But this is one of those types of story where not everyone's going to make it out alive. We got to make some casualties, right? Anyways, thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you again next time anxiously.**

** PLEASE REMEMBER : FCHW - FAITH, CONSISTENCY, AND HARD WORK**

** G1GB - GOD 1ST, GOD BLESS**

**Till The End, Audience**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you all for following me so far on our amazing journey! The story may be ending soon, but I still got some more left in the tank! I urge you to review some more, just for old times sake! I really wanted this story to get some attention because I worked really hard on it! Hopefully, you guys could help me out here.**

**I want to thank you all for reading thus far! The end is near(prob about 2-3 chapters) for our Heroes of China!**

* * *

As the rhinoceros of the Anvil of Heaven made rounds around the Valley of Peace, the Masters and Sǐhǎi walked around the Valley, making sure everyone was okay. Turn out that when the Imperials invaded, they invaded brutally with harsh judgment. Feng, the old Wiseman, was publicly hanged, along with those who supported the Masters and helped them escape. Rumors have reached many ears that Master Shifu was leading the rebellion now, away at another Province where the fighting is at the height of the war.

Although the Anvil of Heaven was guarding the Valley, there were still many attacks from bandits and soldiers combined. To keep out one completely was a difficult task, and no matter how hard they would try, there would always be some able to get through. The Valley was slowly being ravaged by the war, strife ruling the streets as bandits and stray soldiers ran amok. Tigress, Po, Crane, and Sǐhǎi made sure that they would keep it to a minimum.

"Over there, Po!" Crane yelled, as Po through a stray wok at a running thief.

"Good job, Po." Tigress said curtly, ignoring the looks of Sǐhǎi and Crane.

Although Tigress and Po were talking again, their kind words were filled with ice-cold emptiness. They coldly regarded each other, but were still together.

"Why don't you guys go back to where you came from!?"

"Go away, no one needs you!"

Public sentiment for the Masters returning to the Valley were at an all-time low. Apparently, it was only Feng and a few others who truly supported them, and since they were all publicly executed, the citizens wanted them out. Although this unfazed Sǐhǎi, it hurt Crane and Tigress that their own citizens would turn their backs on them.

But no one hurt as much as Po.

He had sacrificed much for the Valley, only for them to spite him. Po didn't give up however, he would fight through adversity. Many a nights, Po would go out on his own past midnight, and fight off stray bandits and soldiers by his lonesome. He would wake in the morning with blood-shot eyes with heavy bags underneath them, wounded and exhausted. But he would still do his daily duties with Tigress and the rest. His exhaustion and wounds from the night took a heavy toll while fighting.

Vachir ran up to them to fill the daily reports of what was going on outside the perimeters of the Valley.

"Dragon Warrior, crime and bandits have gone down heavily, but we still have a problem with the soldiers." Vachir said uneasily, "Something out there is taking out my men fast, and it's worrying me."

"What do you mean?" Tigress asked, crossing her arms.

"We never had casualty ratings like this before, but when you guys arrived, there was an intense increase in deaths of patrols." Vachir said gravely, "Something is following you."

The group's blood turned ice-cold as they realized the situation. Tigress tuned to Crane slowly, eyes asking a private question.

"Could it be—"

"It's possible, Tigress." Crane said.

"So I guess we'll have to get ready then..." Sǐhǎi muttered, turning to the Masters, "I don't care about your rules anymore. I'm not a hero, so I'm not going to kid myself and try to play the good guy."

"I'm going to use my blade, whether you all want me to or not." Sǐhǎi continued bitterly, "I'm going to use the poison I used against Lee Da. If you were smart, you would do the same."

Sǐhǎi stalked off into their refuge before slamming the door shut. Tensions were flaring up as they thought of what would soon come.

"Vachir, there's going to be an army here. I don't know if they're here already, or if their still taking turns crossing the Thread of Hope, but you got to get your men ready." Po said seriously.

"Wha—What do you think will happen?" Vachir asked nervously.

"Horror." Tigress replied simply, following Sǐhǎi into Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu.

The next few days were of the same: Po nearly killing himself for the Valley, Tigress and Po distant, and more men disappearing on patrol. Sǐhǎi began to use her poisoned blade, and her cruel methods were a major factor in reduced crime and bandit raids. Crane began to help Po, but quit after a few days, claiming Po was "insane for doing this".

Vachir had gotten his men ready, and was waiting for the Master's command.

"No major attacks so far…" grumbled Crane, knocking out a bandit.

Tigress looked up, staring at the moon.

"They'll attack soon." she stated simply, heading for the restaurant.

Inside, they found Po making noodles. Po hummed as he cooked, one of the only times where he actually seemed happy. Tigress watched his back as he made dinner, and found that somehow it was comforting.

"Take a portrait, it'll last longer." Sǐhǎi said as she rolled her eyes.

Tigress let out a low warning growl. She and Po were technically still fighting, so she didn't want to be the one backing down and apologizing. But ignoring Po and coldly disregarding him every day was getting harder and harder…

"Oder up!" Po said cheerfully, sliding everyone a bowl of noodles.

Sǐhǎi took a sip, and immediately began to eat faster. Tigress ate slowly, savoring the taste of the delicious broth. Crane had begun to eat when Po sat down.

"Po, this is amazing!" Sǐhǎi said, slurping some more.

"Yeah, well…My dad taught me how to cook…before he…" Po fell silent, and began to eat.

Tigress glanced at him longingly; she wanted to comfort him, to tell him that his father was in a better place now. But as she opened her mouth to do so, her pride pulled her emotions back. She was NOT going to be the first one to apologize. Po turned his head slightly to meet her gaze, and both of them froze for a moment. They quickly looked down at their own bowls, and begun to eat in silence again. As usual, dinner was awkward and tense as they retired to their sleeping quarters. Crane and Sǐhǎi took the bottom floor, as Po and Tigress went upstairs. When they went inside Po's room, Tigress slept on her sleeping mat on the floor, as Po climbed into his bed. Tigress refused the bed because it made her appear weak, much to Po's displeasure. They slept together on the bed before, but since their fight…

As Tigress lay on her mat, she began to think of all the happy times she had shared with Po before any of this had happened. She thought of the night she had kissed Po for the first time, underneath the peach tree, with the petals flying around them, the moon shining brightly with the stars accenting the dark night skies. She shivered as she remembered the night at Xuchang, when she and Po had merged into one, and remembered the night where they had comforted Fui. Tigress's eyes shot open as she realized she had been awake for probably hours on end, going through her memories. But she came to realize one thing: she truly, deeply loved Po, and she had to save their relationship before she lost Po indefinitely. Tigress was about to get up to wake Po, but froze when she heard a noise.

Po had gotten up, and stealthily made his way across his room to where Tigress lay. Slowly reaching under her, he scooped Tigress up bridal-style, and quickly reached his bed. Po gently laid Tigress on his bed, and turned her so her back was properly on the mattress. Tigress was confused, and closed her eyes in a ruse to show she was sleeping. She could feel Po's eyes on her, and felt his paw lovingly stroke her head.

"If you sleep on the floor, you're going to get a cold…How many times have I told you Tigress…" Po whispered, mostly to himself, "Still…you haven't caught me once yet…so I guess you're still pretty tired."

"Sweet dreams, love." Po whispered as he softly pecked her forehead.

Tigress could feel the emotions overwhelming her as she lay in the warm, comfortable bed. She had always wondered why she never woke with any discomfort in the morning: Po had been putting her on his bed when he thought she was asleep. She let one eye barely creak open, and stared at the panda she loved. He had taken her place, and rested on the floor with nothing but the thin mat beneath him. She could barely make out his grumblings about how his shoulder had hurt in the mornings. Tigress suddenly realized that Po didn't have a bed sheet with him. His blanket had been tucked under her, to generate warmth for her, and her own was covering her. Po had been sleeping on the cold floor without a blanket.

Tigress thought of the nights where he had stayed up to patrol the city past midnight on his own, and doing the same thing he was doing now. What did she do for Po? Nothing but watch him with regret. As she felt her lips quiver, and her eyes tear up, she couldn't take it anymore. She got up quickly, frightening Po, and ran over to his side. She was exhausted, but she didn't care. She attacked him, laying on top of him as she embraced him and met his mouth with her's passionately. Po resisted at first, but fell limp and began to kiss Tigress back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly pecked his lips with every repeated: "I'm sorry."

She nuzzled her face in his neck, and began to purr uncontrollably. Po remained silent, comfortingly rubbing her back and kissing the crown of her head.

"What was that for?" Po murmured into Tigress's ear, tweaking it with affection.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry for being such a fool…"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. We were both in the wrong." Po said softly, tightly embracing the feline.

"Have you been doing this every night…?" Tigress asked tenderly, stroking Po's face.

"Pretty much, then I would wake up and put you back on the floor…"

"I'm sorry…and I love you…" Tigress breathed out, "I don't think I ever got to tell you that much."

Tigress separated from him and dragged him to his bed, where it was warm. They climbed in the bed together. Po put his back fully on the bed, and smiled as Tigress curled up on his belly, resting her head below Po's chin. They were both under the blankets now, and the heat was making them sleepy. Po silently hummed a lullaby to Tigress as he stroked her back, and was rewarded with a kiss on his chin. Tigress nuzzled her face in Po's fur, and breathed in his scent as she fell asleep.

**...**

When Sǐhǎi awoke, she was expecting another dull, quiet, breakfast with awkward silence. As she turned the corner, she was greeted with laughter, scampering about, and a whole lot of flour. Sǐhǎi looked on, amazed, as Po chased Fui around, flour on his nose, as well as all over the floor. Tigress watched on, laughing freely…Sǐhǎi rubbed her eyes. Laughing freely?! She hadn't seen Tigress laugh like that since…never, really. Crane padded up next to her, beak wide and eyes like saucers. he couldn't believe it as well.

Po chased Fui around the kitchen, knocking over cooking utensils and chairs as he swooped down and picked her up with one hand.

"You can't run from me, Fui!" Po rhymed as he tapped her nose, smudging flour on her nose as well.

Fui giggled and wriggled herself out of Po's grip, landing of the floor. She ran about some more as Tigress was caught unaware by Po and also gotten smudged by Po. With a playful snarl, Tigress chased Po and Fui around the kitchen, until she pounced on Po. As Po was underneath her, Tigress trapped his arms with her own, and leaned down, smirking. She licked the flour off of Po's nose, much to Fui's disgust. Then with a grin, Po threw Tigress over, wrestling her. As they tussled on the floor with Fui egging them on, Sǐhǎi coughed lightly.

Tigress and Po looked up, blushes already deep set within their face. They scrambled up, and looked at the flour-filled floor. Sǐhǎi and Crane laughed out loud, happy that they were back to their normal selves. The morning was spent productively with Fui, as Po attempted to teach her how to cook his famous noodles. After nearly destroying the kitchen, using up all the vegetables, flour, and other ingredients after repeated attempts, and much laughter, Fui had gotten the recipe down. Po twirled her in the air, congratulating her efforts. Tigress watched on, a proud smile playing on her kips as Crane and Sǐhǎi settled down the table, ready to eat.

"Wow, kiddo! Who knew you could be a chef." Sǐhǎi teased, poking Fui in the nose.

"This is really good, Fui!" Crane praised, ruffling the young ocelot's hair.

"How's your shoulder?" Tigress asked, concerned for Fui.

"It hurts a little, but I'm okay!" Fui said cheerfully, "The doctor said that I'll be okay! Thank you for picking me up…"

"No prob, kid." Po said with a full mouth.

Tigress gently batted the back of Po's head for talking with his mouth full, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Sǐhǎi watched curiously as she ate. It seems that they had finally made up. But there was still the matter of the possible invasion, the public sentiment, and the execution of Feng.

"Listen, kiddo…About Feng…you have to understand…"

"Sǐhǎi, she doesn't need to know that yet!" Crane said quickly,

"She needs to know!" Sǐhǎi snarled, baring her teeth at Crane.

"I know Feng's gone…It's alright Uncle Crane…" Fui smiled sweetly at the avian.

All eyes widened.

"You…you're not…?" Sǐhǎi asked hesitantly

"Nope! Because like Uncle Po said, he's up there now!" Fui looked up, pointing at the sky.

Po and Tigress looked at each other. They hadn't expected her to take it that well. Tigress's eyes softened as she was the only person to realize how similar Fui was to Tigress. The rest of the group shrugged it off, and went by their daily duties for the people that hated them.

"Dragon Warrior!" Vachir panted as he stood by the doorway to the restaurant, "There are more refugees that arrived!"

"More?" Po asked incredulously.

As the rebellion raged on, the peasants took up arms and began helping the Masters and their students. Even some Imperials joined the rebel's sides. But war has casualties, and many cities have been made war-zones, almost impossible to live in. Many came in flocks to the Valley of Peace, one of the few places that have survived Imperial assaults. Po sighed as he and Tigress walked to the entrance of the Valley of Peace to greet the refugees.

"Welcome, welcome…We have more than enough space!" Po said brightly, masking his exhaustion.

"Let me help you with that." Tigress said kindly, helping an elderly rabbit and her grandchildren with their belongings.

"Thank you so much, Dragon Warrior!" a hooded figure said, grasping Po's hand with his own and shaking vigorously.

"Hey, no problem." Po smiled warmly at the hooded figure.

_It was nice to see some appreciation for once…_ thought Po.

As the hooded figure walked away, he shouldered the sack of belongings on his back. His back turned to the gullible panda; the figure quickly took a detour, swiftly walking away from all the other refugees. There were heavy clanks of metals inside the hooded figure's pack as he walked quickly, and was careful not to drop the explosives in the sack.

The hooded figure couldn't help but grin.

**...**

The Masters were making their rounds around the Valley, until an earth-shaking explosion halted them. Tigress turned to the explosion; a dark cloud already emerging from the explosion sight.

"What the—"

Crane was interrupted by another blast and more spreading across the Valley. Wails of despair could be heard traveling across the air, the wails of those in pain and fear. Everywhere, blasts of explosives were going off, clouding the air in black smog, choking out the life and beauty of the Valley. As they ran towards the entrance, Po spotted a very familiar hooded figure running towards the exit to escape. Tigress leaped from her position and landed on the figure, pinning it underneath her.

"Was this your doing?!" Tigress snarled, putting a forearm into the refugee's neck.

When she pulled back the hood back, she would have never expected the hooded figure to be _him_.

It was the wolf puppeteer from Xuchang, grinning like a madman, eyes lacking any sort of sanity.

"They took my Hélǐ…" the wolf whispered, his blood-shot crazed orbs meeting Tigress's shocked scarlet irises.

"They took her…and said they'll kill her if I didn't listen…" the wolf continued to incoherently babble, eyes rolling around its' socket.

Tigress stared in shock, tremors running through her body. How could the gentle, mild-mannered wolf who was so temperate transform into a raving, blood-crazed, lunatic? Tigress remembered the play, and the two puppeteers walking along the dusty road, clutching paws. The beautiful lioness who's eyes seemed to shine when she stared at her lover…

"Where did they take the lioness?" Tigress asked, her voice trembling.

The wolf's eyes bulged, and he began to giggle uncontrollably shaking his head as he kicked out with his legs.

"Shùnshǒu? She's dead, deader than a dead deader…Hee hee hee…They grabbed me, beat me like a building back bone baba…hehehe…they grabbed her, beat her…they made me watch as they raped her, like some tramp damp clamp stamp….then they, they…"

The wolf still grinned manically, as sudden tears streamed down his face. He continued his unearthly giggles and grins, but his eyes sung a different tune. His eyes shown regret, despair, and fear. He began to hiccup and sob, still grinning somehow.

"They…_killed_ her…the sight of her dead, broken, bleeding body…was almost…._maddening_…"

"Then who's Hélǐ?" Tigress asked softly, pitying the wolf puppeteer who had been so graceful.

"My daughter…she's the only thing I have left….he he…left, right, left, right, left, right…Right? Might? Sight? Fight! You'll soon have a fight of your life…" the wolf rambled on.

The rest of the group looked at the wolf, severely shaken at what they had just witnessed. Crane felt like he was going spew his breakfast, Sǐhǎi had an uneasy, nervous look on her face, and Po stood rigid, trembling slightly. Tigress didn't know what to do…even though he had killed so many with the bombs, he didn't exactly do it on his own accord…

"Get out of here." Tigress said, lifting his up by the collar and throwing him towards the exit, "Go to your daughter…"

The wolf scrambled up, and began to run towards the exit of the village, grinning wildly as tears fell from his face.

"The Imperials are here!" a voice roared from a distance.

The group immediately ran towards the exit, hell-bent on stopping the soldiers. Everywhere else, the Anvil of Heaven were preoccupied helping the people, organizing escape routes, fighting off Imperials that have entered through the other pathways. Crane and Sǐhǎi took off for the other side of the village, splitting them up to cover more ground.

As Tigress and Po neared the entrance, a particularly large group of soldiers stormed through followed by Shin and Suì-Fēng. Tigress and Po jolted to a halt, getting into their defensive stance.

"Here you go, Wolfie…Your precious daughter…" Shin drawled, throwing a small sack of explosives to the wolf.

Suì-Fēng looked on indifferently, not even moving an inch. Shin stared hungrily as he watched with sadistic intent.

"Oh, my dear Hélǐ… it's okay…daddy's here with you now…" the wolf puppeteer cried softly, cradling the explosives.

Tigress didn't know what she was thinking when she began to sprint on all fours, racing to the puppeteer. The wolf cried silently, holding the bundle of explosives tenderly, seeing his daughter and not the lethal bag that would obliterate him.

"Tigress, no!" Po yelled out, lunging to attempt to hold Tigress back.

Tigress raced with all her speed to reach the puppeteer; she had to save him. Dirt and dust flew as her claws dug into the earth with each stride, her eyes focused on only one thing; the wolf. She had to save him, because in her mind, it would be to repay the couple for what they did at Xuchang. Tigress was nearing the wolf, and hope began to fill her. She was so close, only a few paces left until—

The bag detonated, sending a cloud of black haze, blinding Tigress. Pieces of metal flew past her, cutting and grazing her body as she skidded to a stop, right in front of the sight of the explosion. She dropped to her knees, tears silently seeping out of her eyes, falling on the blackened earth. Trembling with fear of what she might see, Tigress felt herself look down without consent. She looked at the sight of the explosion, what was left of the wolf, and instantly turned her head. She stayed in that position, heaving uncontrollably as a pool of her sickness lay close to her knees. She felt more tears spring up, thankfully blurring her vision.

"These are called bombs…" Shin drawled, holding up a small bell-like metal object, "its casing is basically a metal ball, with gunpowder infused in it. Smash it against something and it'll probably explode 'cause of the sensitive primer in it."

Shin began to laugh uncontrollably at the sight, relishing in Tigress's suffering.

"What a weakling…" Shin chortled, picking up Tigress by the collar of her vest, "Here I thought that _the_ Master Tigress was a stone-cold fighting machine!"

With a roar, he threw Tigress into a building. She was launched through the wooden wall, and after a moment, didn't come back out. Shin charged Po who had been also visibly shaken by the explosion, but was blind-sided by Crane.

"Again?!" roared the panther, enraged at the sheer number of times he has been taken by surprise.

"You're not going to hurt anymore people, monster!" Crane bellowed as he dragged Shin into the sky.

Shin cursed, and reached for his sword. As he drew it, Crane suddenly dropped and spun swiftly, forcing the blade out of Shin's hand back into the earth.

"The sky's my domain!" Crane shouted.

"Well I guess I'll have to get you out of it then!" Shin snarled, using his arm to beat Crane as they flew higher into the sky.

Crane desperately flew higher, but Shin's powerful arm had willed his right wing to stop working. With a hiss of pain, Crane plummeted from the sky with Shin holding on. They smashed through the roof of a large building, crashing through the wooden floors and landing into the foundation of the building. With a shaky groan, Shin slowly stood from the rubble, and stumbled outside before collapsing. There, Sǐhǎi and Suì-Fēng were locked in combat, each attempting to exterminate the other.

"I haven't paid you back yet for the cut in my back!" snarled Sǐhǎi.

Suì-Fēng remained stoic, her blade on her arm slashing through the air with deadly accuracy. She dodged another swipe of the poisoned blade and drew in close, using the short length of her blade as an advantage. Sǐhǎi slashed her blade back to repel the assassin, and lunged forward, not giving Suì-Fēng time. They locked blades, glaring at each other. Suì-Fēng swept her foot at Sǐhǎi's legs, attempting to knock the feline of her feet. Sǐhǎi leapt back, blade ready to deflect any lunge or forward aggression.

As the two assassins clashed, Shin got up slowly, chuckling dryly. He limped out into the streets, and breathed in deeply, holding his abdomen. He had broken a few ribs, but was probably not as hurt as Crane. Crane got up shakily and trudged outside, near Shin. Crane was hurt; he had broken a few ribs, and probably his right wing. As they steeled themselves for combat with their wounds, Tigress had gotten up from the rubble from her building she was launched in, leaning on the doorway for support. Shin's laugh began to transcend into a bellowing laughter as he ignored the searing pain in his lungs and ribs.

"What's…so…funny?" Crane growled, displeased with the panther's laughter.

"It's just…you're all fools…You try and keep your people safe…by putting them in a single…place together….are you stupid!?" Shin laughed harshly, wheezing.

Crane straightened up, fearing what Shin might be implying.

"How do you think we got…explosives in here? All those…frightened children…and elderly who…couldn't run for their lives are…in that orphanage…to bad…they won't see…another day…"

Crane's eyes were wide open in fear, and he immediately shot into the sky, willing his broken wing to work. As Crane flew faster and faster, he heard something crack and pop in his wing. Hissing with pain, he narrowed his eyes and thought of the children and elderly who couldn't run. They were gathered into a nearby orphanage, the Bao Gu orphanage just on the outer perimeter of where the citizens lived. Crane desperately willed his wings to fly faster, the pain in his shoulder and wing was getting unbearable. As he flew, he could hear Shin's laughter.

After a solid minute of flying, he knew he had to get there before the explosives' primers were accidently set off by the sheer number of people crowding in there, pushing and shoving. As Crane reached the orphanage, he smashed through the ceiling, desperately looking for the explosives. He scanned the area desperately, searching for anything large enough to store enough explosives to collapse an entire building. With his eyes darting around furiously, he almost missed it; a large silver bell in the middle of the people, probably used for waking the kids up in the morning. Ignoring the looks from children and other civilians, he swiftly cut off the rope and caught the end of it before it hit the ground.

The weight of the bell threw Crane off; he hadn't expected the bell to be this heavy. But he had to get the explosives out of the building, so using all his strength, he shot into the sky, holding a bell as large as him. He flew into the sky; he had no clue when the primer would go off. But judging from the faint hissing noise, he knew he had little to no time. By the amount of explosive gunpowder stored in the sack underneath the bell, he knew he would have to go extremely far to save these people.

Crane knew what he had to do.

He didn't want anyone else to get hurt by the explosives, so he shot upwards into the sky. Tears streamlined his face as he continued to jet upwards, trying to get away from as much people as he could. His body ached for him to stop, and his wing felt as if it was going to pop off, but the thought of Mei Ling gave him strength.

Mei Ling.

The only student who had talked to him.

The only girl to have believed in him.

The only woman who could make him smile just at the sight of her.

The only one he had ever loved.

He remembered the times they had together. He wanted to have his last memories of her, not anyone else. He remembered all the beautiful moments they had shared: through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

"_Crane, that was amazing!"_

"_Well, you'll never know until you try."_

Crane's eyes shut close as the tears streamed down his face. The moonlight that surrounded her that evening made her look godly. He remembered the triumph of passing the test, the pride as he held the flag, the blush when she had grabbed his hand, raising it high in the air.

"_Gods, Crane…Everything's so beautiful…"_

"_Well…I guess then…you're my wings then, Crane."_

The thrill of showing his loved one a scared, secret world only avians knew. The adoration and love he held for her as he glided the skies with her. The sun that day was so bright, so beautiful…

Crane looked up, looking at the sun to see if it had matched the sun the day in its beauty.

"_Thank you, Crane."_

Crane smirked through the rope in his beak. Not a chance. The hissing inside the bell had grown so loud it could have deafened someone. But all Crane could hear was Mei Ling. His eyes flooded with happy tears as he could almost envision the beautiful feline in the sky, beckoning to him. The bell had begun to tremble, as the explosives were ready to set off. He shut his eyes tightly, squeezing out any tears left in his eyes. He knew he would be joining his love soon. As he soared in the skies one last time, he felt free, as if a massive burden had been lifted off his shoulders. After all this time of grieving, he would finally join Mei Ling.

"_Regardless of the tragedies, the future doesn't scare me at all."_

"_I have you."_

_That's right, Mei Ling. You have me._

**...**

Tigress's eyes have been following the massive bell in the sky dragged by Crane. In the sky, far away so no one would get hurt. Suddenly, the explosion went off in the air, a massive supernova of lights filled the sky.

"Crane!" screamed Po, reaching towards the sky.

"Oh gods…" muttered Sǐhǎi as Suì-Fēng stood by her, gaping as well.

Tigress touched her cheeks, surprised at the wetness they held. She was crying again, as she watched her elder brother sacrifice himself for the Valley. Tigress dropped to her knees, clutching her body. She felt the empty gaping hole of sorrow swallow her heart, but she felt anger rising in her chest. She slowly stood up and calmly strode towards Shin.

The panther had been laughing the whole time, tears of mirth rolling of his cheeks as he pointed to the sky.

"I can't believe…the idiot…went for it…" Shin wheezed, laughter taking away his breath.

Shin hadn't expected Tigress to kill him; no, the Masters frown upon slaughter. But at the moment, Tigress didn't have the mindset of a Kung Fu Master; she was an avenger, an enraged beast who had been tired of watching this man hurt her loved ones. With a furious screech, Tigress launched herself at Shin, bowling him over. She was atop of him, as she unsheathed her claws and began mercilessly clawing the skin and fur off of Shin. Screaming with rage, she continued to claw and pound the life out of the panther, who had still been laughing and grinning all the while. She struck him until his laughter had stopped and his body had seized convulsing.

Tigress stared at the bloody mess that was Shin, and looked at her paws with shock. Had she really done this on her own will? The blood on her hands disturbed her, because for once in her life, it wasn't just a person's blood; it was a _dead man's _blood. Tigress slowly got up from the body, disturbed, as she slowly walked out into the street. She fell to her knees, and continued to stare at the paws that seem to have murdered a man.

Sǐhǎi continued her battle with Suì-Fēng, yet the vice-general seemed confused.

"I have heard of public sentiment for the Masters has been negative." Suì-Fēng asked hesitantly as they fought, "Yet why did you comrade sacrifice himself for them?"

"It's what heroes do." Sǐhǎi said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You cared for him." Suì-Fēng observed, ducking when Sǐhǎi lashed out with her blade.

"He was my brother…" Sǐhǎi said as she gritted her teeth, tears falling freely now.

"No longer." Suì-Fēng said, "He's just a dead man now."

With a scream of rage, Sǐhǎi flung herself at Suì-Fēng, ignoring safety and caution. She fought recklessly, ignoring the cuts she gradually began to accept. Although she opened up in her defense, her savagery in her attack held Suì-Fēng at bay. Although she received wounds, she dealt just as many. Suì-Fēng was beginning to get overwhelmed, unable to withstand the inner strength Sǐhǎi had managed to pull from within her. Sǐhǎi had slashed at Suì-Fēng, and when the feline had leapt back, she rolled underneath her jump, creating no separation. Suì-Fēng was obviously the better fighter…but where did this strength come from?

"This is for my village!" Sǐhǎi sliced Suì-Fēng's leg, causing her to kneel on one leg.

"This is for my people!" she cut her other leg, causing her to kneel completely now.

The poison had already taken affect, allowing no movement in Suì-Fēng's legs.

"This is for Monkey and Mantis!" she gashed Suì-Fēng's left arm deep, the poison halting any movement from Suì-Fēng.

"This is for Viper and Crane!" Sǐhǎi slashed the other arm now, forcing Suì-Fēng's arm still.

"This is for Mei Ling!" Sǐhǎi slashed across Suì-Fēng's midsection diagonally.

Sǐhǎi stopped, and stared into Suì-Fēng's eyes. Her eyes betrayed no signs of fear, as Suì-Fēng looked up rebelliously at the feline. Sǐhǎi raised her blade high, ready for the killing blow.

"And this…this is for me." Sǐhǎi said coldly as she brought the blade down with all her strength, slashing Suì-Fēng across her body again, making the same cut on her opposite side.

Suì-Fēng's eyes dimmed as she fell forward; not a single sound of agony or pain escaped her. She was dead. Sǐhǎi's panting evened out slowly as she regained her breath. She looked up at the sky, dark with clouds of smoke rising from nearby buildings. As the Imperial soldiers saw what had took place, they began to retreat in crowds, each fighting to escape first. The Anvil of Heaven had a Field Day, making short work of the disorientated, panicked army of soldiers retreating.

"Sǐhǎi, you okay?" Po asked as he hurried over.

"I'm fine, where's Tigress and Fui?" asked Sǐhǎi tiredly, exhausted with her recent battle.

"Fui was hiding out in the noodle shop, but I don't know where Tigress is…" Po said worriedly.

"I'm right here." Tigress said slowly, tentatively walking over to them.

Po's gaze fell to her paws. They were pure red, soaked in blood.

"Did you…?" Po asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Tigress said softly, looking down in regret and shame.

"Is it over?" asked Fui, running out of the noddle shop and hugging Sǐhǎi.

Sǐhǎi sighed before speaking.

"It's fine. We survived today, so all just relax and go ho—"

Sǐhǎi looked down to see a blade coming through her abdomen. She turned to look back from her shoulder slowly. She spotted Suì-Fēng, holding her blade in her. The poison should have stopped all movement, but it seemed as if Suì-Fēng had gotten up out of pure will as she defied death. With a snarl on her face, she pulled the blade out and fell on her side. As she turned on her back, she watched at the sky.

"General Zhao…" she said, as she passed on.

Tigress and Po had been frozen from shock. It all had happened in a matter of seconds, from normal conversation, heading out for home, then Sǐhǎi being fatally wounded. Fui screamed as Sǐhǎi fell, and began to wail uncontrollably.

"Gah…argh…she came back from the dead to kill me…some irony this is…" Sǐhǎi growled, holding her wound.

Po had crouched down, holding Sǐhǎi's body up in a sitting position.

"Don't speak! Put some pressure on that wound!" Tigress urged, crouching besides Po.

"No…I'm not stupid…I know this…is pretty bad…so listen up to what…I have to say…"

"I…always wanted to be…a hero…when I was a little girl…but the world…turned its back on us…and I turned into a thieving criminal…and…and the world shunned me some more…made me cold inside…ice-cold…" Sǐhǎi shuddered as she drew in a shaky breath.

"Sǐhǎi…" Po murmured, tears in his eyes.

"Auntie, stop talking, we have to get the doctor…" Fui said tearfully, shaking Sǐhǎi.

"Kiddo, I'm pretty much…gone at this point…" Sǐhǎi murmured, an amused smile tugging at her lips, "Po, you made me...warm up inside…turned by black, ice-cold heart…into a beating, warm one…I never…got to say…thank you…the day at Xuchang…I never had so much fun in my life…and you all treated me like family…" Sǐhǎi said softly, blood leaking out the corner of her mouth.

Po softly wiped the blood off her mouth, his tears spilling on her face. Sǐhǎi turned to Tigress, a smile on her lips.

"Tigress…I know Po did the same…to you as he did to me…he's something _special_, Tigress…once in a millennium guy…don't let him go, no matter what…and I know…you guys…are going to have a…_great_ life together…once this is all over…" Sǐhǎi grinned kindly at the couple.

"Kiddo…kiddo…" Sǐhǎi murmured, bringing the strength to pat Fui's head, "I…got some…life lessons…I never got taught…so listen up, and…listen good.

"Always listen to your new parents…" Sǐhǎi motioned weakly to Po and Tigress, "Always do what they tell you…they're your best friends…tell them you love them everyday…"

Sǐhǎi softly chuckled, closing her eyes.

"You're too young for…boys right now…but there's gonna be a time…and when it does, make sure…he's the one…who treats you right…don't smoke the opium…be kind to people…and…stay away from the bad things, kiddo…please, don't get caught up in the bad things…there's…so many beautiful things out there…in the world for you…" Sǐhǎi whispered.

Sǐhǎi paused and coughed violently, spraying the front of her with blood.

"I'll always be with you…I love you…" Sǐhǎi faintly whispered, before slumping against Po.

Fui began to wail uncontrollably, as Po stared, silently crying. Tigress leaned against Po, as she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"Goodbye…Sǐhǎi." Po said faintly as he laid a soft kiss on her brow; the wails of the people in pain and the smog from destroyed buildings filled the air.

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**"Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. It matters not the time they spent with you but how they impacted your life in that time." - Unknown**

**Another chapter has passes! I worked really hard on this one, so I would appreciate all the reviews you guys could spare! The end in near and I have no plans to stop until I have reached a satisfactory end for me. I ask for your hand as we walk through this adventure together, as one big happy family! Cheers to you all, the fans and followers! Let's make these last few experiences a good one!**

**Till The End, Audience**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'M SO SORRY!**

I NEVER GOT ENOUGH TIME TO WORK ON A NEW CHAPTER!

**I'M SORRY, I'LL WORK ON IT SOON DURING SUMMER BREAK **

**SO PLEASE, EASE YOUR ANGER WITH THIS HAIKU I MADE MYSELF :D**

Writer's block is dumb

I can't think of anything

I suck at Haikus


	17. Chapter 17

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE, PLEASE READ: **

**Heya! I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time, I've been working on some other projects of mine (NOT Fanfic :D). I feel a little guilty for rushing the ending. I truly believe I didn't put forth my best effort in these last few chapters, so I'll tell you what.**

**IF YOU GUYS WANT ME TO RE-WRITE THIS STORY, I'LL DO IT.**

**Yes, I'll be willing to put time off my super busy schedule to please you guys :D. There will (obviously) be new content, improving on the old parts and putting in some better writing, more descriptive writing, more feels, blah blah blah. Of course, this is assuming that you guys want a re-write.**

**THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER.**

**But it is the second to last chapter :D. PLEASE REVIEW, IT MOTIVATES THE PANTS OFF OF ME!****  
**

**Enjoy!**

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_**Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu **_

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As Tigress and Po began to bury Sǐhǎi, Vachir approached them from behind.

"The battle's not over!" he screamed, panicked, "We caught them retreating, and then reinforcements just came out of nowhere!"

Tigress looked up slowly. "The Mongolian Tactic. They caught us right where they want us."

Po stared at Tigress. "What do you mean?"

"They send in a force that's overwhelming, but beatable. They catch us outside our formations after the battle, and close in on the flanks and front." Tigress slowly said, eyes darting back and forth as she searched for a solution, "We're utterly trapped."

"We can get out of this." Po said firmly, wiping the tears from his eyes; right now was not the time for grieving.

"Dragon Warrior…" Vachir said softly, "No one has ever survived this onslaught in the history of war. Ever."

Tigress got up before hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "Go get the men ready. Get into battle formations and ready the archers."

"What's the use, Master Tigress?" Vachir said sadly, "We're dead men."

"We are not giving up!" Tigress hissed, grabbing the front Vachir's armor, "Don't let them defeat you before the battle has started!"

Vachir looked into her eyes while trembling. Tigress's face shifted from a snarl to a look of confidence and poise.

"I have a plan. Don't worry, I won't let you or your men die." Tigress said confidently, "Has the army begun to move yet?"

"That's the other thing, Master Tigress. They requested a meeting of leaders before they kill-I mean, move in."

"Well, let's go." Po said, dusting off the dirt on his pants.

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"General Zhao! I know you're out here, so just come on out! I thought this was an arranged meeting!" Po shouted, walking up to a grassy plain far outside from the Valley.

"Dragon Warrior. I am General Zhao, the Pillar of Justice and Virtue."

"General. We have no wish to fight you." Tigress spoke, "You know this war is pointless; you must!"

"So long as my Emperor continues to support the war, it does not matter what I know or think." Zhao said firmly, "I am a general; I have a duty to fight for my Emperor till the very end."

"But—"

"Master Tigress, there is nothing you can do or say. I am party to your father's murder. Are you a warrior or not?"

"Zhao…" Po murmured.

"General, I know you are more than this. You're kind, just, and compassionate." Tigress pleaded, "You gave Crane second life, buried Mei Ling, watched the people of China suffer for the Emperor. How long can this go on?"

"I give condolences to your fallen comrades. Too many have died and suffered. Suì-Fēng…" Zhao said softly, voice cracking with emotion at the loss of his vice-general.

"If we tag-team, we can end this war together." Po said urgently, "If you just join us, we can stop all this…"

General Zhao looked up into the sky, looking temporarily vulnerable. He seemed to be struggling with himself, yet when his gaze fell back on the two masters, the only thing left in his eyes were a cold resolve.

"I am sorry, Masters of the Valley of Peace."

Po looked startled, "Wha—"

"Were my heart my master, I would do exactly as you say. But what sort of general abandons his men—his Emperor! — Now, when they need him the most? I was nothing before the Emperor of the past took me in and raised me to where I was now." General Zhao said with steely determination resonating in his voice, "Would you have me toss away everything I had lived for, built on, as if it were nothing?"

"No, General. I…I don't know."

"I lived as a soldier, and I intend to die as one. There are no other roads left for me to walk. Farewell. The next we meet, we will be enemies."

Zhao looked to Tigress and Po one last time before setting off back to his army where they will start the invasion.

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Po numbly plopped himself down and shakily put his head between his hands. How would they get out of this one? Maybe if he and Tigress got out of the Valley now…

No.

Po would not abandon the citizens of the Valley. This had been his home and he would do anything to protect it.

Po felt two shaking arms wrap around under his arms and a wet muzzle buried in the crook of his neck. Po sighed softly and raised an arm to stroke Tigress's head.

"Where have you been…?" Po asked softly, wondering about her disappearance.

"I took Fui somewhere safe. She's in good hands." Tigress said, burying her face into Po's neck further.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Po." Tigress said, trembling, "The villagers don't care, the Anvil of Heaven seems defeated, and we're surrounded."

Tigress tightened her grip on Po. "I hate you." Tigress murmured into his neck, "You've completely changed me."

Po remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I don't care about Kung Fu anymore…I don't care about the citizens, or anybody else." Tigress cried softly, "Long ago I would gladly give my life to these people and not feel a thing. But my life is not my own anymore. You changed everything I lived for."

Po felt tears in his fur.

"I only want to live for you."

Tigress continued: "I just want to run away with you. Just go away from all this killing and fighting, and live a normal life with you."

Po closed his eyes and sighed. He picked up Tigress so she would be seated on his lap. She curled up against him as she sat down.

"You know we can't do that. We can't abandon these people…"

Tigress looked up with pleading eyes. "Po, you've given these people everything. Haven't you sacrificed enough for them?"

Po shook his head slightly, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Not everything. Not yet."

Tigress knew what he was talking about before he finished his sentence. "No, no please, Po. You can't give them that." Tigress desperately pleaded, "Please, no."

"I want you to get out of here, Tigress. You already sent Fui to hide with some of the citizens. It's gonna get pretty dicey here, so…" Po said, smiling.

Tigress knew he was only smiling for her sake. Tigress stood still for a moment. She walked up to Po and looked him in the eye, tears and weakness gone. Taking his paw in her's, she gave him one last warm smile, eyes full of love.

"I'll never leave you."

Paws clasped together, they walked out the restaurant, ready for the end.

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Po lay on the ground, bleeding heavily from multiple wounds. He had made it all the way to the dead stump of the Sacred Peach Tree of Wisdom, unconscious bodies of soldiers littered beneath the hill where he lay. Although he spared the soldiers from death, Tigress was not so forgiving. Po pondered weakly where she could have been, wishing to see her one last time before he would pass.

"Ti…Tigress…?" Po called out weakly, unable to move anything but his head.

Po heard a small shuffling noise, and felt the presence of Tigress weakly plop down beside him.

"Here." Tigress called out weakly, bleeding with broken bones.

"Can you move…?" Po whispered softly, slowly inching his paw towards Tigress's.

She took his paw in her's. "Used the last of my strength to come here." She said shakily.

Po released a shuddering sigh before shakily replying. "I don't think I'll make it past this one, Ti."

Tigress hummed in acknowledgement. "The same goes for me."

They lay together, blood flowing from their bodies unto the soil underneath them. Po felt cold inside as fear gripped his heart. There was so many things he didn't get to do, so many things he would leave behind. He began to tremble as he thought of leaving the love of his life behind.

Tigress closed her eyes and let the tears flow as she tightened the grip on Po's paw. "We promised that after the war, we would go traveling…" Tigress sobbed.

"I know, Ti…I know…" Po said gently, inching himself even closer despite his heavy wounds to get even close to Tigress, "I'm so sorry…"

"I wanted to end all this…" Tigress said with her shuddering breath, "I just wanted to be with you, be a normal couple…with our friends and comrades…"

Po began to cry as well now, tears silently dripping down his face. "I'm so sorry, Tigress…I'm so sorry."

Tigress sobbed even harder. "We promised each other that we would get to talk about things a normal couple would talk about…no fighting, no wars or death …"

Po remained silent, holding back the tears to try and remain strong for Tigress.

Tigress continued to sob until she had calmed down reasonably. Although both their wounds' blood flow began to thin out, they weren't fooled. They didn't have much blood left to spill left.

Tigress spent the last of her energy to turn her head and look at her beloved panda. She felt so tired, and the pain her body was previously racked with was beginning to ebb away, being replaced with a frightening numbness she knew was death.

"I want to tell you that I love you. I'm so glad that I met you…" Tigress breathed out desperately, coughing flecks of blood out before continuing.

"**If we are ever reborn, I want you to know…**" Tigress said tearfully, a sad smile on her face, "**That I would like to be able to be with you again.**"

Po chuckled softly. Even with tear streaks down her fur, a stream of blood down the corner of her mouth, and rough, matted fur, she never looked so beautiful in her life. He returned her sad smile with one of his own, and prayed to every god he knew of to make her wish possible.

"**We'll meet again for sure, and then we can talk about everything we wanted to. I may not know it's you and you may not know it's me, but we'll meet again. I promise.**" Po swore, looking into Tigress's eyes for what he knew would be the last time.

"I wouldn't want it any other way, Dragon Warrior…" Tigress smirked softly.

Po and Tigress stared into the depths of each other's eyes, staring into their face to commit it to memory before they leave their world.

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Shifu stared at the army before him. They had trooped together, ready to storm the Forbidden City where the emperor lay huddling in fear. Po and the Heroes of China had stopped all three of the Imperial Three. With them gone, but villagers, citizens, and Masters of China gained the upper-hand in the war, led by Shifu.

"My daughters and sons have died, almost four months ago." Shifu said solemnly, looking into the ground as he fought back tears.

The news of the Masters of the Jade Palace sacrificing each of their lives was still a fresh scar in Shifu's heart. He knew that they had sacrificed themselves for a worthy cause.

"The word was spread that the brave Heroes of China laid down their lives, not only for the Valley of Peace, but for all of China!" Shifu roared, staring at the massive army before him.

"Now on this battlefield, the Imperials must be stopped, once and for all!"

The army before him roared in agreement.

"Just there the Imperials tremble, sheer terror gripping their hearts wit icy fingers…knowing full well the losses they suffered at the hands of EIGHT Masters of Kung Fu." Shifu yelled into the wind," Yet they stare now across the terrain at 138 Masters, commanding 500,000 people of China!"

The army before him roared. They stretched all across the land they occupied, a massive sea of bodies. Shifu looked on in amazement. There were villagers in here who didn't even know how to wield a weapon properly, yet they fight for their freedom and country.

Shifu smiled as he thought of how proud Tigress and Po would be to see that their comrades' lives haven't been wasted. They had been transformed into martyrs, especially Po and Tigress. The army had something else to fight for other than their personal freedom; the Heroes of China who laid down their lives.

Shifu looked on with a confident smile on his lips. "The enemy outnumbers us a paltry two to one, great odd for any fighter. This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny and usher in a future brighter than anything we can imagine."

Shifu spun his staff in the air and raised it high, signaling the start of their charge before swinging it down, he looked back to say one more thing.

"Give thanks, men, to the Heroes of China! To Victory!"

With that, they charged with the hope of the future riding upon their backs. They were fighting for freedom, for change, and for the Heroes of China.

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**Ta-da! I finally released something on this story! I've been so busy lately, I'm so sorry. So once again, I will reiterate. **

**WANT ME TO RE-WRITE THE STORY TO MAKE IT TEN TIMES BETTER? TELL ME SO IN A REVIEW AND I MIGHT JUST DO IT!**

**WANT TO SEE THE ENDING SOON? REVIEWS MOTIVATE THE PANTS OFF OF ME!**

**TO EVERYONE THAT REVIEWED, FOLLOWED, OR FAVORITED, I LOVE YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**Till The End, Audience**


	18. Chapter 18

**Finally, our journey is over! It's been so fun entertaining you with my humble little story! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! You were all wonderful, from the helpful critics, motivational praisers, and the rest (last but not least!) of you who had supported me on this journey!**

**This story was shaped by you guys! I never planned ahead, so depending on the reviews, I made my story high and low. So, in all frankness, YOU made the story as much as I did! And that's great! **

**THANK YOU FOR READING _The Heroes of__ China!_ **

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_**"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened!" - Dr. Seuss**_

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Fui relished in the day's sunlight and wind as she walked across the Valley of Peace. The Valley of Peace had been remodeled into something larger and greater than ever before. It was the largest center of commerce and population in China, though the newly remodeled Valley held all its inhabitants just fine.

Shifu had taken care of the Valley, nurturing its growth and watching it blossom; just like a peach tree. The air was crisp and cool, uplifting savory smells of various food stands and foreign spices in the market. Although the size of the Valley grew along with the number of inhabitants, the Valley maintained its unity with the nature around it, preserving many forests and wild plants.

"Grandmaster Fui, Grandmaster Fui! Come play with us!" the children shouted as they ran towards the beautiful ocelot.

Fui went down on one knee and smiled as she petted the children that flocked her.

"I'm sorry guys, I don't have time today." Fui said as the children looked downcast, "But I would love to play with you guys later, okay?"

The children cheered and ran off, singing about how they would play with the famous Grandmaster Fui later. Since the war, Fui had been training in Kung Fu, eager to be just like her foster mother and father. She had excelled much to everyone's surprise, reaching the status of Grandmaster in just 12 years after the end of the war. Her reputation for being as beautiful as deadly was spread all across China, as she was nicknamed the Crimson Flash for her speed and deadly beauty. It didn't help that she wore almost the same attire as her foster mother, The Pillar of the Jade Palace: Tigress Ping.

As she continued her walk to the Jade Palace, she spotted a familiar figure.

"Hey, Aiwa!" Fui called out with a smile, waving.

The panther turned and waved back with a smile. He was there with Fui when they hid in the final battle of the Valley of Peace, and became steadfast friends. Although Fui couldn't see this, the rest of the citizens of the Valley could _definitely_ tell of his feelings for her.

Fui, now 19, walked towards him with a natural air of confidence. Aiwa couldn't help but be slightly breathless as she approached him; most men his age would _kill_ to even be seen by Fui.

"Hey Fui." Aiwa called out weakly, "Nice weather today, huh?"

"Of course, Aiai!" Fui grinned as she called out his nickname she christened him, "It's 'that day' y'know?"

Fui relished in the crisp summer air and stretched leisurely, extending her body, yawning as she did. Most men around her dropped their jaws at the sight.

"Anyway, I got to go." Fui smiled obliviously, "See you later!"

A pig walked up to Aiwa. "My gods, she doesn't know, does she?"

Aiwa nodded distractedly, thinking about Fui. "She's different. She walks lightly on this earth. She's one of a kind. And I'm fine just being a part of her life."

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"Hi, Grandpa!" Fui chimed as she walked into the barracks of the Jade Palace.

There, an ancient red panda could be seen, meditating. He opened one eye as he nodded in acknowledgement. He slowly got up to greet his granddaughter.

"You look more like your mother everyday with what you're wearing." Shifu croaked, amusement twinkling in his eye.

"Got to represent what I am, right?" Fui joked, "Do you need anything, Gramps? Medicine, foot rub, some water?"

Shifu chuckled with mirth. "No, no child. I'm fine. Go see Bao and Mei Hua before you go…there."

Fui's eyes softened. "You miss them, don't you?"

"They were like my children…I never had a chance to tell Tigress how much… I never told her how much I loved her." Shifu said, eyes brimming with tears.

Fui had to hold the urge to shed tears as well. "I think she knew. She never said, but I think she knew you were proud of her." Fui smiled at the thought.

Shifu nodded slightly. "You have grown wise, young one. I remember when I first saw you…"

Fui remembered it all, too.; playing with Po and Sǐhǎi, listening to Crane and Mei Ling's tales, cuddling with Viper and sharing intimate daughter-mother moments with Tigress, laughing at Monkey and Mantis's jokes. She missed them all terribly, and seeing their statues in the center of the Valley didn't help. She knew they would have never accepted such treatment like that. Okay, maybe Mantis and Monkey, but that's just who they were.

She walked into the training hall into the obstacle course, where she had trained painstakingly to be just like Tigress and Po. There, she saw a young white tiger punching the lights out of The Adversary in the corner of the room. Sweat rolled off his brow as he grunted with every hit, his form precise and strength in careful check.

"Working hard, Bao?" Fui asked amusedly from a distance.

The young white tiger straightened himself up before bowing low. "Grandmaster Fui." he said gravely.

What was so surprising was unlike other white tigers, Bao's eyes were a gentle hue of jade. Fui couldn't put it down, but her pupil's eyes reminded her of something…

"Hey Master Fui! Hey Bao!" a young tiger chimed as she ran into the room, face full of delight, "Bao! Play with me!"

Bao rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Mei Hua, I'm busy training."

Mei Hua ran up to Fui and hugged her leg tight. Burying her face in Fui's leg, Fui could feel the pleasant vibrations of Mei Hua's purr. Fui looked into the beautiful scarlet pupils of her female student. Coincidentally, Mei Hua was the spitting image of Tigress. She had her eyes, her stripe patterns, but a completely different attitude. Mei Hua's demeanor reminded her more of a certain panda…

Fui found Bao as an orphan and took care of him since infantry. Mei Hua had joined the Jade Palace when Fui found her talents on an odd day out fighting bandits. She had raised both of them as if they were her daughter and son. While Bao was calm, cool, and serious, Mei Hua was a fun-loving oddball who loved to eat almost as much as she loved to sleep.

Fui spotted something on Bao's paws and grabbed his paws to inspect them further.

"Bao, have you been going to the Ironwood trees?" Fui scolded, "You know I forbid you from training on those trees!"

Bao looked down with shame as Mei Hua stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"I just thought…I…" Bao said frustratingly before giving up with a sigh, "I just wanted to improve."

Spotting Mei Hua teasing him, he quickly turned his rage on her. "But at least I train instead of just eating and sleeping all day and tripping over myself whenever I walk down a flight of stairs!"

Mei Hua immediately stopped her teasing and pulled a hurt face. Fui sighed and went down on one knee, drawing them close to her.

"Bao, I know you want to be the best you can be, but Kung Fu isn't all you need. Master Tigress, one of the legendary Heroes of China was just like you; till the Dragon Warrior showed her Kung Fu isn't everything in life." Fui lectured, then turning to a teary-eyed Mei Hua, "And Mei Hua, just because you like eating and sleeping doesn't mean anything. You can still work hard and no matter how clumsy you are, you better get right back up."

Both children nodded and looked at each other.

"I know this is really cheesy and all, but…" Bao said uncertainly, "But I'm sorry about what I said, and I hope you didn't take it to heart."

Mei Hua sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Dummy…you always make me cry…"

Bao laughed softly and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm the only one who can make you cry, okay? No one else, or else you tell me and I'll beat them up!"

Mei Hua laughed while wiping the tears from her eyes. "Okay…only you. Can we still play?"

Bao sighed and rolled his eyes. Mei Hua put her lower lip out and gave her best puppy-eyes.

"Please…?" she begged.

Bao looked into her face and sighed once more. "Okay, okay…"

Mei Hua jumped up in the air and pumped her fist excitedly. "Yay! Let's go into the square!"

Mei Hua quickly pecked Bao on the cheek and took off, whooping excitedly and cheering loudly. Bao stood still for a moment, heavy blush upon his face, and then ran after her.

"Whoa, Mei Hua, slow down!" Bao yelled out, flustered, "Why can I never deny her…"

Fui laughed freely as she saw the two young ones race off into the square. They reminded her so much of a familiar presence. Speaking of familiar presences…

.

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Mei Hua quickly made her way to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Reaching the beautiful tree with its bright vivid petals, she could see two headstones. Walking up to the two graves, she sat down on the ground and took a deep breath in.

"Hey you guys…" Fui said softly, smiling sadly, "It's that time of year again. You now I always visit you guys…"

The pink petals seemed to flow near her, almost enveloping her in an embrace. Fui closed her eyes and felt the sweet cool air flirt around her fur, sweeping her fur one way and back. The petals flew around her, creating only a void where only Fui existed.

"I…I've been training hard!" Fui said cheerfully, fighting the urge to cry like she does every year, "I finally made it to Grandmaster status. And Shifu is getting along well, even though he gets grumpy when he's tired!"

The graves responded with silence.

"The citizens love me, and I think some more than others…" Fui added with a sudden blush, looking down, "I…I think I love Aiwa, guys… He's kind, sweet, and compassionate."

Fui couldn't stop the tears now. She missed them so much. They had given her a sense of family and loved her. She gripped the grass in front of her hard, stifling wails and holding down the urge to cry outright.

A single peach blossom petal landed on her noise, distracting her.

"Huh?" Fui replied dazedly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Taking the petal from her snout, Fui was forced to look up into the sky. It was raining now, flashes of thunder lighting up the gloomy sky. The raindrops fell unto the earth with a soft pitter-patter as the sky flashed with bright lights. The chaotic winds lifted the petals into a storm, making the experience feel that much more unreal.

Fui closed her eyes and felt the earth around her, thinking back to what her foster-father told her about the thunder and rain so long ago.

…

_"Do you want to know why it rains?" Po murmured to Fui, gently guiding away her hands that covered her eyes._

_"I don't want to! I hate the rain!"_

_"I don't think the rain would like that very much." Po gently said, looking into the dark sky booming with lighting and thunder._

_"Huh?" Fui asked, confused._

_"Just hear me out. After, if you still hate the rain, then fine. But listen first, okay?"_

_Fui agreed reluctantly. Tigress was behind them, and curiously listened in as well._

_"The rain is…kind of like tears from people who we really care about that are gone. They're crying 'cause they're so happy for you, Fui. They're happy about how you grew up, or happy that you're still living. They're happy because you're happy. The lighting and thunder is just their way of trying to get your attention, because they miss you so much." Po patted Fui's head as she stared in amazement at the dark, gloomy sky, "So when it's raining, you can't be scared or sad, okay? You gotta be happy, to show them you're happy and that you still remember them."_

_"Like Mom and Dad?" Fui asked hopefully, tears in her eyes._

_"Exactly." Po said firmly._

…

_Are you watching me right now, Po? Are you crying because you're so happy for me?_

Though nothing answered, Fui knew the answer to her question.

The rain was practically pounding down now, but Fui couldn't have been any happier. All these years, she felt some semblance of regret and guilt that they had died protecting her. The tears from the skies washed away her fear and doubts, like a sacred cleansing for sinners. Her heart was ready to burst with all the emotions built up in it.

Fui decided to take her father's words to heart. Fui let out a long elated howl, followed by wild hollers of excitement.

Thunder roared in the skies, blinding the skies with its flashes of power and light and making the very clouds in the air tremble. The rain beat down on her in a righteous fury, cleansing her soul and heart with its simple purity. The peach blossoms around her swirled into a crazed waltz in the air, dancing feverishly around her.

Although the frightening elements of the earth were set loose upon her, Fui felt a sense of finality and a kind of happiness she hadn't experienced in what felt like forever.

The kind of happiness when she had played with her childhood heroes in Xuchang; the ones were still her heroes to this day.

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Sitting high on a wall in an empty house stood a lone portrait on the wall. It was more of a rectangular shape than a standard square. The edges were a little frayed, and the paper was tinted in a slight yellow to reveal how old the painting truly was. The frame was prepared in a signature style only found in the city of Xuchang.

It appeared to be a family portrait, yet the unique feature of the painting was the family was of completely separate species.

Out on the edges of the large group was a leopard and monkey.

The leopard had a haughty smirk on her face, arms folded cockily in front of her. Yet in spite of her heated domineering front, her eyes held a strange light in them that had shown compassion and kindness: if you tilt your head and squint.

The monkey on the other side of the length was grinning brightly, flashing a full set of pearly whites. The grin was of the mischievous kind, but a kind grin nonetheless. It was obvious with the slight wrinkles on his face that he was often smiling.

On the monkey's shoulder sat a praying mantis. The mantis was, at first, hard to spot; but the realization that he was there burned a permanent remembrance into the mind. He was a vivid green, soft yet brilliantly bright at the same time. He was small, yet impossible to ignore.

Inside the leopard and Monkey, posed a snake, a crane, and a mountain cat.

The snake was coiled neatly with two flowers crowning her head. Her eyes shone with bright mirth as the toothless smile was nothing short of absolutely stunning. Her scales were expertly captured in the painting, gently reflecting different spectrums of light.

The crane was on the other side of the snake, standing tall and proud. His posture may have been a stiff and strict, the gentle smile he had seemed to contradict his posture. His eyes told a story of hard work, passion, and a full life as a wing was wrapped around the mountain cat besides him.

The mountain cat was smiling happily, leaning unconsciously towards the crane on her right. Her gentle features were only complimented by her round, soft eyes which shone with a strange kind of power. By her position in the group, she was the only one hit by the light of the falling sun. The light from the setting sun, leaked through an open window, captured her smile and eyes perfectly.

In the middle of the group stood a tiger, a panda, and an ocelot.

The tiger was smiling softly, showing what appeared to be a rare showing of gentleness. Through her beauty, one could tell she was a warrior by heart. Her confident poise and smile stood alone in the group. But, almost inconspicuously, her paw was wrapped around the ocelot's. Her eyes were trained not on the painter, but the panda besides her, past the ocelot.

The panda was standing on the other side of the ocelot. His jovial grin lit up the room as his eyes glinted in a mysterious light. His paw was wrapped around the ocelot's as well. Despite his portly appearance, the panda had the telling of someone wiser than his age and yet someone who definitely knew the meaning of fun.

The picture lay, not forgotten, but merely sleeping on the wall of someone who held them dear. Maybe one day the painting would be made public, for the people to come and pay homage to. But for now, it was best kept in the hands of the survivor in their band of heroes. Fui would keep it safe, and commit it to part of her memory forever.

And so these warriors were the fated Heroes of China.

The band of martyrs and heroes who sacrificed themselves for the sake of their people, their home, and their country.

But don't let them hear _you_ say that. After all, they would probably just humbly laugh it off, thinking of it as nothing more than their honor and duty.

And that was what made them so special.

And so the tale of our Heroes of China has finally come to an end. There is only one thing left to say in this regard, and in the words of the mighty Dragon Warrior himself…

_SKADOOSH!_

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**Now play the ending theme song to Kung Fu Panda! We finally did it guys! We finished the story!**

**WANT MORE FEELS, MORE ACTION, MORE PLOT? REMEMBER TO TELL ME IF YOU GUYS WANT A RE-WRITE!**

**REVIEW ONE LAST TIME, JUST FOR OLD TIMES SAKE.**

**THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!**

**Au Revoir, Audience**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, my beautiful people.**

**I've decided to listen to your guy's suggestions and...**

**!I WILL RE-WRITE THE STORY!**

**I just hope you guys will like it better than the original...because if not...awkwwwaaarrddd...**

**I have made a commemorative haiku (improvised, no less!) to celebrate this occasion!**

Phoenix ashes rise

Merging scattered ideas

I hope I do good (:D)


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **Um...*sigh* look this is going to be weird for me. It just is, but please hear me out.

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**I NEED OCs FOR MY RE-****WRITE**

**CRITERIA:**

**1. NONE OF THAT (NO OFFENSE dajuanwilliams) MAGIC, CHI, ENERGY BLAST BS. I'M SORRY. I DON'T LIKE MAGIC. I'M A SPORTS GUY. PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES ALL THE WAY.**

**2. NO Mary Sue CHARACTERS ARE ALLOWED.**

**3. PLEASE BE LENIENT ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE A FEW THINGS IF I NEED TO AND (IF I HAVE TO) KILL THEM OFF. **

**4. I MIGHT NEED SOME FOREIGNERS, SO PLEASE LIST YOUR NATIONALITY. ANY EASTERN ASIAN(Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Chinese, Tibetan...) OR MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONALITY(Indian, Iranian, you get the point...) IS FINE.**

**Now that we got that out the way...**

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**CRITERIA PART II:**

**NAME: **Your character is going to need a name! I request Chinese (or whatever native names from your country if you want to be a foreigner), but if you can't, please no ordinary names like: John, David, and such.

**AGE**: How old is your character?

**GENDER**: Is he a manly man? Or is she a sweet gal?

**ATTRIBUTES**: Provide as much description as you can. What animal it is, any abnormalities or physical attributes I should be aware of.

**PERSONALITY: **How does he/she act? Are they nice? Mad? Angry? Stupid? Make sure to list any odd quirks you want your character to have!

**COMBAT: **Your character may or may not fight. If you don't want them to be a fighter, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to need what weapons they carry, style of fighting preferred, and any specialties (i.e. strong for size, extremely fast, agile, sneaky)

**ODDS AND ENDS: **Anything else you want me to know about your character._** Feel free to be creative! Uniqueness is encouraged! **_

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**EXAMPLE:**

**NAME: **Po Ping

**AGE: **Dude, hell if I know.

**GENDER: **Male.

**ATTRIBUTES:** Big guy, generally obese. Is a Panda with startling jade green eyes. Pants are a little raggedy, but nothing to bad.

**PERSONALITY: **Generally just a nice guy. Fun to be around, clumsy at times, but heart's always in the right place.

**COMBAT: **Uses a unique style of Kung Fu Master Shifu helped him discover, using his weight and fat as an advantage.

**ODDS & ENDS: **He is the Dragon Warrior. His love interest is Tigress, and he is adopted. GREAT at cooking, especially noodles.

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**Happy character creating!**

**Please don't make me come up with my own...that's no fun! :D**


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